Weekend Wrap: Knapp Scores Masters Invite
Weekend Wrap: Knapp Scores Masters Invite
Rookie winner holds off Finland's Valimaki. Elsewhere, van der Merwe takes first Africa Am, Rahm confirms money and less golf sold him on LIV, Anthony Kim's back, the Charlie Woods coverage and more.
This week on the PGA Tour? They played the golf equivalent of a Carnival cruise ship lacking stars on stage or in the sparse galleries. But those who tuned in for the Mexico Open were at least reunited with a record number of cart paths, boundary fences that weren’t boundary fences until they were Sunday, and, overall, little in the way of a discernible vibe.
But with a purse of $8.1 million and $1.458 million going to the winner, the full-points Tour stop meant invites into the Masters and PGA Championship were available to the winner—whether or not the event was deserving.
How mediocre was this field?
Even with the Official World Golf Ranking excessively tilted in the PGA Tour’s favor, the Mexico Open included just four top 50 players and only 23 from the top 100.
Not that the winner will care.
Jake Knapp captured the Mexico Open in just his fifth PGA Tour start despite hitting only two fairways on Sunday. He held off Sami Valimaki for a two stroke win. With his 19-under total and two-stroke triumph Knapp is headed to Augusta and Louisville for the year’s first two majors.
Knapp became the third rookie to win in the eight-week-old 2024 season, matching the 2022-23 total for rookie wins.
NBC did their best to convince us the brown runny stuff we were question really was chocolate on this Sunday sundae from Puerto Vallarta. The announce team ably fleshed out Knapp’s bouncer backstory, humble personality, love of the gym and the touching golf bond shared with his late grandfather who he still texts. (Note to master beancounter Brian Roberts: this kind of storytelling could not have happened if the team was working from that hideous recycled Tallahassee News 4 set in Stamford).
The announce crew also told us about Salamaki’s rise and, this being NBC where they really only care about one thing at this point, the Finn’s Olympic hopes after representing his country in 2020. We learned Finland only has 189 courses—where they’re lucky to get 189 days of golf weather. Coincidentally, both players share a massive passion for hockey and seemed to get along well during a back-and-forth final round. So it all somehow made for a compelling (enough) duel in an otherwise paper thin setting with a glorified Korn Ferry Tour field. But at least sponsor Grupo Salinas cut a new ad.
Worth noting: the two Tour rookies landed in Puerto Vallarta through very different paths. Knapp won won three times on PGA Tour Canada before graduating to the Korn Ferry Tour last year where he was winless but played well enough to make the big leagues this year.
Valimaki is another European off to a strong start after earning his card from the DP World Tour Eligibility Rankings. A list that has produced one of 2024’s first time winners and current FedExCup leader Matthieu Pavon, along with recent Masters invitee Thorbjorn Olesen. The Finn is a two-time DP World Tour winner who had never recorded a top 20 in 11 official PGA Tour starts until this week.
One final note from the week: Mexico’s 2024 Latin America Amateur champion winner, Santiago De la Fuente, made his second start on the PGA Tour (67-69-72-70/T40) in preparation his Masters appearance. Of the eight Mexicans in the field, only De la Fuente and Alvaro Ortiz (T13/-11) made the cut.
Home country hopeful Patty Tavatanakit continued her recent dominant play in capturing the Honda LPGA Thailand at Siam Country Club’s Old Course. A second victory in two weeks made for a career “dream win”, and the Honda LPGA Thailand is her first official title since winning the ANA Inspiration (now the Chevron Championship). The Honda win came 1,057 days since her major victory in Rancho Mirage. Still just 24, Tavatanakit’s is now in her fifth season on the LPGA Tour.
Carlos Ortiz posted a final round 65 to win the Asian Tour’s “International Series” event in Oman. He held off Louis Oosthuizen and Joaquin Niemann for the win. Entering the week, the LIV defector from Mexico and one-time budding PGA Tour star was ranked 1286th in the world.
Darius van Driel of the Netherlands captured his maiden DP World Tour title at the Magical Kenya Open. The 34-year-old went wire-to-wire to win by two over Spaniard Manuel Elvira.
van der Merwe Wins Africa Am In Playoff
South Africa’s Altin van der Merwe birdied the first hole of sudden death to beat fellow countrymen Christiaan Maas and Ivan Verster to kick off the inaugural Africa Amateur Championship at Leopard Creek.
“It’s awesome to be the new Africa Amateur Champion,” said van der Merwe. “It’s an unbelievable feeling but I don’t think it’ll kick in until later. On the last hole I just pulled a blinder of an approach out and in the play-off I made a good two-putt. I can't describe the feeling, it means everything to me.”
Those blinders of an approach do work wonders!
The trio of van der Merwe, Maas and Verster tied at 13-under-par after 72 holes but only van der Merwe birdied the 18th hole in sudden death to secure exemptions into The Open at Royal Troon, The Amateur at Ballyliffen and the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek.
“I can't wait to play in The Open,” van der Merwe said. “Honestly, I can't wait. It's links golf as well, so I'm going to be licking my chops out there with just a little sting two iron all day and I just can't wait until the time comes.”
Now that’s how you win over the old guard!
One final note on a fantastic start for the Africa Amateur: Keegan Shutt posted a bogey-free 62 for a new course record at Leopard Creek, home to the annual DP World Tour stop. Out of the championship going into the final round and starting at the tenth tee, Shutt posted six birdies on his opening nine, then holed out for an eagle 2 at the par 4 sixth coming in to break a record held by Maas (in round three), Scott Jamieson, Ockie Strydom and former Open Champion Louis Oosthuizen.
“I'm buzzing, words can't express it,” said Shutt (T8). “I don't know how I kept my nerves today, especially coming up to the closing holes. I'm just really glad that I held it together. This is my best round of golf competitively and a 62 at this amazing course at Leopard Creek tops everything. Before the day, I would never have imagined being in this position. I'm just so happy that I managed to do it.”
Full highlights:
Kyra van Kan Wins Africa Am Women’s Championship
Kyra van Kan led wire-to-wire to win by nine strokes and becomes the first-ever Africa Amateur Women’s champion at Leopard Creek.
“Finishing here on such a prestigious golf course, I’m really honoured to have played golf in front of Mr [Johann] Rupert, the R&A and GolfRSA,” van Kan said after posting a 1-under-par total. “It's just incredible, this feeling. I'm really honored to have my name on that trophy.
The 18-year-old books spots in The Women’s Amateur and Final Qualifying for the AIG Women’s Open. Highlights from the 54-hole event: