Russell Knox came up a shot shy of winning in back-to-back weeks on the PGA Tour.
On the 72nd hole of the OHL Classic at Mayakoba on Monday, Knox pulled his tee shot at the finishing hole into a fairway bunker. Up against a steep lip, Knox couldn't hit a club that would fly the ball some 175 yards onto the green, forcing him to get up-and-down on water-logged Paspalum to win the tournament. However, his par bid never sniffed the hole, leading to a three-way playoff with playing partner Jason Bohn and eventual winner Graeme McDowell.
“It was unfortunate to hit a bad drive, since ultimately it cost me the tournament,” Knox said. “I’ve just got to hit a good drive, and I’ll definitely have a putt to win the tournament. I just wasn’t able to hit a good one. Hit a great second shot, but I’ve got to get the ball up and down there to win. Because I didn’t, I don’t deserve it.”
Had the 30-year-old won, he would've been the first player to win his first two PGA Tour events in consecutive starts since Camilo Villegas took the 2008 BMW Championship, then, after an idle week, the Tour Championship.
Knox, who won his first PGA Tour event the week prior at the WGC-HSBC Champions, maintained his commitment to this event and playing for a fifth week in a row. He's surprised by the outcome, but, given the opportunity to win, the Scot was disappointed he didn't seize it.
“I was thrilled to have played this well. I didn’t expect it, to be honest,” he said. “But I was right there, I should have got it done.”
