Russell Knox talks about those putts at last year's Irish Open
Lightning struck twice for Russell Knox at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open last year. He lowered a 40-foot birdie putt to the final hole of regulation to get a play-off at Ballyliffin Golf Club and rolled another one from almost the same spot to Ryan Fox.
It was the fourth victory in the career for the Scottish-born son of an American father and a Scottish mother, but first on his birth continent. He came to the United States to play college golf at Jacksonville University and has since sent Florida home, first earning PGA Tour membership in 2012.
Knox, 34, took time at the Memorial Tournament last month to think about the final win of the year, hopes his Ryder Cup and takes the American path to a professional career. The conversation has been edited and compressed.
Those two putts out of 18, the one who enters the play-off and then the one who wins: are these the most significant back-to-back putts of your career
I don't know if anyone has ever done that before. So yes, it was definitely for my career. I pushed a 12-foot leg to win in Hartford, so this was even longer. Yes, it was pretty amazing that it happened.
That victory brought you to the Ryder Cup interview and you were not elected for the second time in a row. How frustrating is it to be in that mix and then get the phone call that you were not selected for?
It was more frustrating in 2016 because everyone knows that I played well enough to be on the team. Last year I had not chosen myself. I was close by, but there were a few other guys who earned me more than me.
It was nice to be there, but I needed one more major achievement. It just didn't come. It just fueled the fire a little bit to hopefully be eligible next time.
Will it change the way you approach the Ryder Cup qualification / selection system?
Not for me. If I play well, I can make it. If I don't play well, I won't. I'm going to do my very best to play more in Europe. I have enough chances, and if I play well, I will be there. If I don't do it, I don't deserve it.
You started your professional career on the mini tours and you worked your way up. Many colleagues born in Europe return to Europe. Why didn't you choose that path?
I feel Scottish – I was born there – but I will live in the United States for the rest of my life. I don't want to live [in Scotland]. I love it, but I am happy in the US I am married to an American woman, and I will live here for the rest of my life.
You experienced your major breakthrough in 2011, qualifying for a Web.com Tour event in California and second place there. How important was that boost?
Perhaps the most important thing that happened to me. I moved on to second place that week and about a month later I won on the Web.com and that brought me to the PGA Tour. That was a big moment in my life. Everyone who has been here and played mini tours, they have had that moment. That was just mine.
What did it bring to the University of Jacksonville so far?
I visited and I liked the coach, Mike Flemming. I was fascinated by life in Florida and Jacksonville. I would probably have been everywhere I would go, to be honest.
Flemming was not only your first college bus, but you brought him back later to coach you professionally until he died in 2014. Why did the relationship click so well?
I really wanted him to live because we had a great run. He was one of the best, funniest storytellers I have ever heard. Definitely a person I will remember forever. To this day, I probably had my best things when he was around. It would be nice if I could have another lesson from him.
You said after he died that you weren't going to look for another coach, that it was "not even worth it" the attempt. Is that still the case?
No, but it took a while. Last year I was fighting my swing a bit. I found Bradley Hughes, whom I really like. We have been working since the end of last year. It was good. It is a very different interaction than with Mike, but equally good. Hopefully Bradley will be the man to take my game to the next level.
