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USA Today
7 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
This PGA Tour Champions event is moving down the Florida coast in 2026
Tournament will be played at Timuquana Country Club for the final time Oct. 3-5. The PGA Tour Champions Constellation Furyk & Friends is taking an unexpected turn to the south. The fall tournament hosted by the Jim and Tabitha Furyk Foundation since 2021 at the Timuquana Country Club, will move to the Ocean Hammock Golf Resort and Spa in Palm Coast in 2026, marking a return of Champions Tour golf to the Jack Nicklaus-designed course in Flagler County. The tournament dates will be Oct. 9-11, 2026. This year's tournament, the final one at Timuquana, is Oct. 3-5. Rocco Mediate is the defending champion. "I don't know if surprised is the right word," Furyk said about the move to Palm Coast. "We kept an open mind, made a lot of visits and looked at our options. We saw so much opportunity at Ocean Hammock, the golf course, the resort. There was such an upside to moving there." The overall Timuquana membership voted slightly in favor of renewing the contract in late 2023 but less than 50 percent of the founders and life members voted not to renew. The club leadership decided the vote was close enough to sever the relationship when the five-year contract expired after this year's event. The tournament, Constellation and the PGA Tour Champions extended the title sponsorship in October of 2024 through 2030. Ocean Hammock hosted previous PGA Tour Champions event Furyk said the initial plan was to relocate to a Duval County course and Glen Kernan, which recently re-opened after Furyk oversaw a renovation, was the initial favorite. But there was a mutual decision between the Furyk Foundation and Glen Kernan not to move the tournament there, with Furyk saying in March that "the timing wasn't right," since the club was closed for 18 months and only reopened June 1. Furyk said a handful of other courses were considered, but Ocean Hammock emerged as a possibility last fall, after its management approached Furyk. He said the facility has numerous adantages: its location along the coastline (Nos. 9 and 18 run parallel to the Atlantic Ocean, with views of the water from three other holes), accommodations for players and their families on site, generous space for spectator areas, hospitality venues and the annual Furyk & Friends concert and a track record of hosting Champions Tour events. Bernard Langer (2008) and Keith Fergus (2007) won the previous tournaments held at Ocean Hammock. The course was also the site of the 2003 U.S. Women's Public Links, won by 13-year-old Michelle Wie. Ocean Hammock GM: 'Fantastic for the community' Ocean Hammock general manager Brad Hauer said the PGA Tour Champions was a hit for the resort and the community 17 years ago and he has no reason to believe it won't have just as much of an impact now. 'We hosted two Champions Tour events back in the day and it was absolutely fantastic for the community and everybody associated with us,' Hauer said. 'We're super-excited to bring another Champions event back to Hammock Beach.' Hauer said the fan-friendly nature, positive image and the demographics of the PGA Tour Champions players is a good fit for the resort. 'The age of the Champions Tour players falls right into line with our product and our community and everything we stand for here with our club membership,' he said. 'The players are enjoying life, they enjoy being with pro-am partners and spending time with the fans, having and good time and competing as well.' Tournament won't lose Jacksonville base Furyk said the tournament will not lose its connection with the First Coast or Jacksonville, where the tournament has met with remarkable success in terms of attendance, local hospitality and full fields for pro-ams, which helped raise more than $5 million in charity to date. "Jacksonville is our home, the home of our foundation and it's always going to be that way," he said. "We had such a great start at Timuquana and it will always be important to us." He didn't deny that moving the tournament to Flagler County will bring additional markets and fan bases into play, such as the growing areas of Southern St. Johns County and Flagler County, Daytona Beach and Orlando. "We're always looking to grow our footprint and our impact," he said. "This brings a lot of other areas into play but we're always going to rely on Jacksonville." Jack Nicklaus said course remains a stern test Nicklaus said he was eager for a new generation of PGA Tour Champions to experience Ocean Hammock — although some players such as Langer, Fred Funk, Jay Haas and Mark O'Meara may play in 2026. 'The golf course will test the golfers, but at the same time, I think it will be a fun and enjoyable test for them," Nicklaus said in comments provided to the Times-Union by Furyk & Friends. "The course has some really interesting features. Obviously, there are the views of the ocean, but there are other elements I found to be quite unique. I think the players will truly enjoy the challenge and the beauty of the Ocean Course at Hammock Beach. 'For Florida, I think the Ocean Course at Hammock Beach is a very dramatic golf course," Niclaus continued. "The views of the dunes on the Atlantic seaboard are spectacular.' Tickets for the 2025 tournament are on sale now through Ticketmaster. Information on tickets, pro-ams, hospitality and other tournament activities can be found by visiting Those interested in 2026 sponsorship or hospitality opportunities at Hammock Beach can contact Adam Renfroe at adam@
USA Today
08-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Furyk & Friends event on PGA Tour Champions still searching for a home in 2026 and beyond
Furyk & Friends event on PGA Tour Champions still searching for a home in 2026 and beyond Show Caption Hide Caption Furyk & Friends PGA Tour Champions resumes after brief weather suspension The Constellation Furyk & Friends was briefly suspended on Sunday because of standing water on some of the greens at the Timuquana Country Club. Tournament host Jim Furyk said that the event will not be played at Glen Kernan Country Club due to timing issues. Furyk is looking for a venue that offers a challenging course, scenic location and supports charitable efforts. The PGA Tour Champions Constellation Furyk & Friends still needs a new home for 2026 and beyond. Tournament host Jim Furyk told the Times-Union on Friday that the event will not be played at the Glen Kernan Country Club, which had been speculated widely because Furyk is supervising the renovation of the private course near the Intracoastal Waterway that was purchased in January of 2024 by an ownership group that includes 2022 Players champion Cameron Smith. The five-year contract with the Timuquana Country Club, the tournament venue since 2021, runs out after the 2025 tournament, Oct. 3-5. Timuquana's membership voted in 2023 to not renew the contract. However, Furyk has been adamant that the tournament will stay on the First Coast, especially title sponsor Constellation renewed for another five years. "We are focusing on new options that will provide a challenging course for our players, a scenic location to share the beauty of NE Florida on our television coverage, somewhere fun for our sponsors and fans, and a great partner to help us continue our charitable efforts here on the First Coast," Furyk told the Times-Union in a text. When asked why Glen Kernan is no longer being considered a landing spot for Furyk & Friends, Furyk said it was an issue of timing. "The club has been closed for 18 months and right now [the club] is focused on getting settled in and working with the members and homeowners on providing the best experience they can day-in and day-out," he said. "The timing is not ideal at this time." Furyk did not speculate on a new site. Possible courses are the San Jose Country Club, the TPC Sawgrass Dye's Valley, one of the World Golf Village courses (either the Slammer & Squire or King & Bear), the Sawgrass Country Club (where Furyk & Friends was played for 10 years before becoming a PGA Tour Champions event), the Omni Amelia Resort or perhaps the Golf Club of Amelia Island (part of the Ritz-Carlton). Glen Kernan purchased in 2024 by Corner Lot Glen Kernan was purchased a year ago by Corner Lot, a development firm owned by Jacksonville University graduate Andy Allen. Smith, a Ponte Vedra Beach resident, won the British Open after winning The Players, but then left the PGA Tour to play for the LIV Golf League. Hampton Golf will manage Glen Kernan and the club recently hired former TPC Sawgrass general Bill Hughes to fill a similar position. Plans are for the course to open for member play in June. Golfweek contributed to this report.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Yahoo Sports AM: Jake Knapp shoots the 15th sub-60 round in PGA Tour history
Yahoo Sports AM is our daily newsletter that keeps you up to date on all things sports. Sign up here to get it every weekday morning. 🏀 Another day, another buzzer-beater: A day after No. 8 Michigan State won on a half-court buzzer-beater, No. 15 Michigan beat Rutgers, 84-82, on their own buzzer-beating three. The Wolverines and Spartans are also now tied atop the men's Big Ten with three games left. 🏈 Kelce's not done yet: Travis Kelce will return to the Chiefs this fall for his 13th NFL season, telling Pat McAfee via text that he didn't want to end his career on such a sour note. "I'm coming back for sure. … I can't go out like that!" 🏀 Women's Top 16 reveal: UCLA, Texas, USC and Notre Dame were the top four seeds in the NCAA selection committee's latest Top 16 reveal — their last one before Selection Sunday on March 16. 🏈 No workouts for Hunter: Travis Hunter, the potential No. 1 pick, will not work out at the scouting combine this weekend. Instead, the reigning Heisman winner will do drills at both CB and WR during Big 12 Pro Day, adding that he wants to continue playing both sides in the NFL. ⚽️ NWSL jersey refresh: All 14 NWSL clubs revealed the new Nike-designed jerseys they'll wear for the upcoming season, which begins two weeks from today. Jake Knapp made history on Thursday at the Cognizant Classic, carding a 12-under 59 for the 15th sub-60 round ever on the PGA Tour. The 30-year-old California native made 12 birdies, and was so dialed in with his approach shots at PGA National that he only had to make one putt longer than 12 feet all day. He was also inches away from a Tour-record 57, lipping out for birdie on 17 and nearly making eagle on 18. The sub-60 club: Jim Furyk, the only PGA Tour golfer to shoot a 58, is also the only one to card multiple sub-60 rounds. Furyk: 58 (2016 Travelers Championship) Knapp: 59 (2025 Cognizant Classic) Hayden Springer: 59 (2024 John Deere Classic) Cameron Young: 59 (2024 Travelers Championship) Scottie Scheffler: 59 (2020 Northern Trust) Kevin Chappell: 59 (2019 Military Tribute at The Greenbrier) Brandt Snedeker: 59 (2018 Wyndham Championship) Adam Hadwin: 59 (2017 CareerBuilder Challenge) Justin Thomas: 59 (2017 Sony Open) Furyk: 59 (2013 BMW Championship) Stuart Appleby: 59 (2010 Greenbrier Classic) Paul Goydos: 59 (2010 John Deere Classic) David Duval: 59 (1999 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic) Chip Beck: 59 (1991 Las Vegas Invitational) Al Geiberger: 59 (1977 Memphis Classic) Taming "The Bear Trap": PGA National is generally considered to be pretty tough, particularly The Bear Trap — the three-hole stretch from 15-17 named after Jack Nicklaus, who redesigned the course in 1990. Yes, but: It played much easier on Thursday, and Knapp wasn't the only one who took advantage: Three golfers are tied for second after shooting an 8-under 63 (two strokes shy of the previous course record), and another 11 golfers shot 65 or better. "The rough's not long enough. It's not penal enough when you miss the fairway," said Billy Horschel (-5), who explained that the usual bermudagrass was overseeded with rye, which "looks prettier on TV." "This will be the lowest scoring average in the history of this tournament," he added. "It's just a little disappointing." A long time coming: Knapp, known for having one of the smoothest swings on tour, turned pro in 2016 but didn't earn his PGA Tour card until last year. Heck, he worked as a bouncer at a nightclub to pay the bills as recently as 2022. But he captured his inaugural victory almost exactly a year ago at the Mexico Open, has made six of seven cuts so far this season and is in pole position to add more hardware to his trophy case this weekend. There may be nothing in sports quite as exciting as when Stephen Curry catches fire, and on Thursday night in Orlando the greatest shooter of all time delivered a masterpiece. Steph doing Steph things: Curry scored a season-high 56 points (!) and nailed 12 three-pointers (!!) — including a three-quarter court buzzer-beater at the half — in the Warriors' 121-115 win over the Magic. This was his third career game with at least 12 threes, tying former teammate Klay Thompson for the most ever. It was also his ninth 50-point game since turning 30, the most in NBA history (Wilt Chamberlain had seven). Wild stat: Curry had 11 games with 40+ points and 10+ threes in the 2010s and now has 11 such games in the 2020s, too. No other player has more than seven such games in their entire career. Watch out for Golden State: The Dubs (32-27) have won five straight and seven of eight to move within a half-game of the all-important six seed an an automatic playoff berth. Elsewhere… Giannis Antetokounmpo (28-19-7) and the Bucks won a heavyweight clash, 121-112, against Nikola Jokić (32-14-10) and the Nuggets ... LeBron James (33-17-6) and Luka Dončić (21-13-5) powered the Lakers' 111-102 win over the Timberwolves. The Dallas Cowboys sit atop Sportico's second annual list of the world's 100 most valuable sports teams, with the franchise worth $10.3 billion when combining its market value, team-related businesses and real estate holdings. The big picture: The top 100 teams are collectively worth $470 billion, up 16% year-over-year as valuations continue skyrocketing. Consider this: Every team in this year's top 100 is worth at least $2 billion; in 2010, not a single team eclipsed that mark*. Top 10: 🏈 Cowboys ($10.3B) 🏀 Warriors ($9.1B) 🏀 Knicks ($8.3B) 🏀 Lakers ($8.1B) ⚾️ Yankees ($7.9B) 🏈 Rams ($7.8B) 🏈 Giants ($7.7B) 🏈 Patriots ($7.3B) 🏈 49ers ($6.9B) 🏈 Jets ($6.8B) By league: The NFL unsurprisingly dominated the list, with all 32 teams making the top 100 and even the least valuable of the bunch coming in at No. 52 (Bengals, $4.7B). The NBA also had full representation, with all 30 teams making the cut from the Warriors at No. 2 overall ($9.1B) to the Grizzlies at No. 84 ($3.1B). The rest came from MLB (15), European soccer (10), the NHL (8) and Formula 1 (5). See the full list. *2010 leaders: The Cowboys, Yankees and Manchester United led the way in 2010, all valued at roughly $1.8 billion. Depending on who you ask, Primo Carnera is either the biggest fraud (literally and figuratively) in boxing history, or a misunderstood man mountain who, because he was too trusting and guileless, was the perfect patsy at a time when boxing was most ripe for underworld plucking. From Uncrowned's Ben Fowlkes: Go to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York, and you'll see a cast of the big fella's fist. There it is, right next to a little notecard identifying it as "one of the largest fists in boxing history," belonging to Primo Carnera, world heavyweight champion from 1933 to 1934. Even under the glass it looks huge and menacing, which is of course the point. Carnera is not an inductee in this hall of fame and likely never will be. To the extent he is there at all, it is only as a physical oddity. Maybe that's fitting, since it is generally how the boxing world treated him when he was alive. That is to say, it's how he was treated when he was still fighting and winning. Later he was treated much worse. He was lambasted as a fraud, a shameful mirage, a great big joke that everyone was in on but him. The sportswriter and novelist Paul Gallico once described him as a "floundering giant" who was never anything more than "a freak and a fourth-rater at prizefighting." "There is probably no more scandalous, pitiful, incredible story in all the record of these last mad years than the tale of the living giant, a creature out of the legends of antiquity, who was made into a prizefighter," Gallico wrote of Carnera in "Farewell To Sport," his 1937 memoir of his career as a writer for the New York Daily News. "He was taught and trained by a wise, scheming little French boxing manager who had an Oxford University degree, and he was later acquired and developed into the heavyweight champion of the world by a group of American gangsters and mob men; then finally, when his usefulness as a meal ticket was outlived, he was discarded in the most shameful chapter in all boxing." On paper, Carnera owns the record for the most knockouts of any heavyweight champ. His 72 wins by KO/TKO put him ahead of George Foreman, Joe Louis and Max Baer. Not that anyone believes that, of course. Not really. Looking back now, nearly 100 years after his pro debut, there are some things we may never know about him. Carnera and his handlers are gone. Those who fixed fights or didn't, those who took dives or just claimed to, they're all long since dead. But after all the ways boxing used and denigrated Carnera, then hated him for it, maybe the least the sport owes him is some attempt at an honest reckoning. Keep reading. Tilt-shift photography is a technique in which a specific camera lens is used to alter both the focal plane (tilt) and perspective (shift) of an image, creating an illusion of a miniature scene. Here are a few of our favorite examples from the past month. Acapulco, Mexico — Ben Shelton serves against David Goffin in his Round of 16 loss on Wednesday at the Mexican Open. Milan, Italy — Skaters compete in the men's 500m quarterfinals at the Short Track Speed Skating World Cup on Feb. 15. Nottingham, England — Nottingham Forest and Brighton play a Premier League match on Feb. 1. Toronto — Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews warms up prior to a game against the Wild on Jan. 29. March begins tomorrow, and to celebrate the occasion the college basketball scheduling gods have gifted us a cornucopia of ranked-on-ranked men's and women's matchups this weekend. Men: No. 1 Auburn at No. 17 Kentucky (Sat. 1pm ET, ABC); No. 6 Alabama at No. 5 Tennessee (Sat. 4pm, ESPN); No. 12 Texas A&M at No. 3 Florida (Sat. 8:30pm, SEC); No. 22 Arizona at No. 9 Iowa State (Sat. 9pm, ESPN); No. 11 Wisconsin at No. 8 Michigan State (Sun. 1:30pm, CBS) Women: No. 4 USC at No. 2 UCLA (Sat. 9pm, Fox); No. 25 Louisville at No. 3 Notre Dame (Sun. 12pm, ESPN); No. 15 Kentucky at No. 6 South Carolina (Sun. 2pm, ESPN); No. 20 Alabama at No. 13 Oklahoma (Sun. 2:30pm, SEC+); No. 12 Ohio State at No. 19 Maryland (Sun. 4:30pm, Fox); No. 16 Duke at No. 24 FSU (Sun. 6pm, ACC); No. 10 TCU at No. 17 Baylor (Sun. 6:30pm, FS1) More to watch: 🏀 NBA: Cavs at Celtics (Fri. 7:30pm, ESPN); Clippers at Lakers (Fri. 10pm, ESPN); Warriors at Sixers (Sat. 8:30pm, ABC); Nuggets at Celtics (Sun. 1pm, ABC); Thunder at Spurs (Sun. 7pm, ESPN); Timberwolves at Suns (Sun. 9:30pm, ESPN) 🏒 NHL: Bruins at Penguins (Sat. 3pm, ABC); Red Wings at Blue Jackets (Sat. 6pm, ESPN); Maple Leafs at Penguins (Sun. 1pm, TNT); Bruins at Wild (Sun. 3:30pm, TNT); Blues at Stars (Sun. 6pm, TNT) ⚽️ MLS: 15 games (Sat-Sun, Apple TV) … Saturday's Charlotte-Atlanta game (2:30pm) will also air on Fox. 🏈 NFL Combine: On-field workouts (Fri-Sun, NFL) … QBs, WRs and RBs take the field on Saturday (3pm). Plus… The PGA's Cognizant Classic (Fri-Sun, Golf/NBC) and LPGA's HSBC Women's World Championship (Fri-Sat, Golf); NASCAR at Austin's Circuit of the Americas (Sun. 3:30pm, Fox) and IndyCar's season-opening St. Petersburg GP (Sun. 12pm, Fox); the ATP's Dubai Tennis Championships (Fri-Sat, Tennis) and WTA's ATX Open (Fri-Sun, Tennis); Unrivaled (Fri-Sat, TNT/truTV); PWHL (Sat. 2pm, YouTube). Ja'Marr Chase should receive a lucrative extension this offseason, with a top Bengals executive saying Wednesday that his star WR will "end up being the No. 1 paid non-QB in the league." Question: Who is currently the NFL's highest-paid non-QB? (by average annual value) Hint: Also a receiver. Answer at the bottom. Gene Hackman has sadly passed away at age 95, found dead in his home on Wednesday along with his wife and dog. Sports movie Hall of Fame: The two-time Oscar winner had too many legendary roles to count, but perhaps none more so than his turn as coach Norman Dale in the 1986 classic "Hoosiers," on the short list for the greatest sports movie ever made. And as good as "I'll make it" is, it's Hackman's performance during the "measurements" scene that stands as the most memorable. "10 feet. I think you'll find it's the exact same measurements as our gym back in Hickory." Trivia answer: Justin Jefferson ($35M) We hope you enjoyed this edition of Yahoo Sports AM, our daily newsletter that keeps you up to date on all things sports. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox every weekday morning.
Associated Press
28-02-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
What happens after a PGA Tour player shoots a 59? Jake Knapp is about to find out.
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — If form holds, Jake Knapp will probably shoot something around a 69 on Friday at PGA National in the second round of the Cognizant Classic. That's the average score — well, 68.64, to be exact — for those coming back to work on the PGA Tour a day after joining golf's under-60 club. Knapp set a course record at a defenseless PGA National on Thursday with a 12-under round of 59, the 15th sub-60 round in PGA Tour history. The second round — with a bit more wind in the forecast, which could be a major change from Thursday's combination of no breeze and soft greens — will begin Friday morning with Knapp leading by four strokes over Daniel Berger, Russell Henley and Sami Valimaki. 'I like this golf course,' Knapp said after finishing the 59 on Thursday. 'I'm comfortable on it. When the wind was down, I knew that it was going to be gettable. When this place gets windy, it can get really challenging, so it's one of those where you know you have to play pretty aggressive when it's not windy, so I just did my best to do that.' A look at how PGA Tour players have fared the day after breaking 60: A lucky few got the day off Jim Furyk (58 in the final round of the 2016 Travelers Championship), David Duval (59 in the final round of the 1999 Bob Hope Invitational) and Stuart Appleby (59 in the final round of the 2010 Greenbrier Classic) all didn't have to play the next day. Duval and Appleby rode their 59s to wins. Furyk tied for fifth that week, three shots behind Russell Knox. Al Geiberger, Justin Thomas and Brandt Snedeker all won Al Geiberger shot the first 59 on the tour in the second round of the 1977 Memphis Classic. He shot a 72 on the third round, but won the tournament by three shots. 'I didn't know how hard it was to do that,' Geiberger said years later. Justin Thomas was lights-out all week at the 2017 Sony Open, with rounds of 59, 64, 65 and 65 on his way to a win. Brandt Snedeker also got his 59 in a first round, coming in the 2018 Wyndham Championship. He followed that with rounds of 67, 68 and 65 and got a victory. Paul Goydos and Adam Hadwin finished second Paul Goydos had an opening-round 59 at the 2010 John Deere Classic. He shot 68, 67 and 66 in the next three rounds, coming in second and two shots behind Steve Stricker that week. Adam Hadwin got his 59 in the third round of the 2017 CareerBuilder Challenge. It was in between rounds of 71, 69 and 70, and he was second that week by one shot to Hudson Swafford. 'An incredible week,' Hadwin said. For Chip Beck, 29 under wasn't enough Chip Beck's 59 came in the third round (of five) at the 1991 Las Vegas Invitational. He shot 68-67 on the weekend and finished at 29 under, good for a tie for third that week, two shots back of the leaders. Andrew Magee beat D.A. Weibring in a playoff. Furyk, Scheffler, Young, Springer got top 10s Furyk — in the first of his two sub-60 rounds — shot a 59 in the second round of the 2013 BMW Championship, a mere 13 shots better than he fared in Round 1 that week. He had rounds of 69 and 71 on the weekend and tied for third. Scottie Scheffler shot a 59 in the second round of the 2010 Northern Trust, followed it with rounds of 67 and 71 and finished tied for fourth. Hayden Springer opened the 2024 John Deere Classic with a 59 — on July 4, no less — and shot 71-66-67 the rest of the way to tie for seventh. Cameron Young had his 59 in the third round of last year's Travelers Championship, then carded a final-round 66 and finished tied for ninth. 'I don't even really have words,' Springer said that day. 'I'm still shaking a little bit.' Kevin Chappell had a week to remember Kevin Chappell didn't have a round in the 60s during the 2019 Military Tribute at Greenbrier. He finished tied for 47th that week, with an opening-round 71 and rounds of 73 and 72 on the weekend. But he shot 59 on Friday in Round 2 — only a few months after major back surgery. 'I guess my thoughts are just extreme gratitude,' he said after the 59. 'I just couldn't feel more lucky to be here right now. Ten months ago I was laying on my couch and couldn't get up. So many people sacrificed to get me here, especially my family. A lot of people believed in me, put in a lot of hard work. ... I just couldn't be more proud of myself right now.' ___
Arab News
28-02-2025
- Sport
- Arab News
Jake Knapp shoots a 59 at the Cognizant Classic, 15th sub-60 round in PGA Tour history
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida: Jake Knapp knew he was on the verge of something special early on Thursday, with a run of five straight birdies to open his round at the Cognizant Classic. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport In the end, he joined one of golf's most elite clubs. Knapp — the 99th-ranked player in the world — joined the PGA Tour's sub-60 club on Thursday, shooting a bogey-free 59 in the opening round at PGA National. It was the 15th time that someone has broken 60 in a PGA Tour event. 'It's just one of those days where everything was kind of clicking,' Knapp said. Knapp finished one shot off the tour scoring record of 58, done by Jim Furyk in the final round of the 2016 Travelers Championship. Knapp became the 14th player to shoot a sub-60 round; Furyk is the only one to do it twice. The feat has become more frequent, with nine such rounds since 2016. Knapp had a putt for eagle at the par-5 18th that would have tied Furyk's mark of 58 — 18 feet, 8 inches was the measurement given by the PGA Tour. The putt didn't have the speed and he tapped in for birdie. And yes, he was thinking about 58 — especially after a long birdie putt at the 15th put him at 11 under for the round. 'I stepped up on the 16 tee and just kind of told my caddie, 'Let's play 2 under in the last three,'' Knapp said. ''Let's do what we're supposed to do.'' He had to settle for 59, if a 59 can ever actually be settled for. 'I thought I played well,' said Daniel Berger, who had a bogey-free round of 8-under 63, highlighted by a par on the par-5 10th — after his tee shot was lost in a tree and he played a provisional. 'But then someone shot 59.' Knapp's 12-birdie round on the par-71 course also broke the previous Cognizant scoring record of 61, first done in 2012 by Brian Harman and matched in 2021 by Matt Jones. There are three rounds of 62 in tournament history — Tiger Woods in the final round in 2012 on his way to a tie for second, Brandon Hagy in the second round in 2021 and eventual winner Chris Kirk in the second round of the 2023 event. There was barely any wind, which is rare for South Florida, and PGA National was largely defenseless in the morning session. The closest there was to any trouble was around the seventh hole, where Billy Horschel — a Florida Gator from his college days — used a club to poke at an actual alligator that was catching some sun near the green and got it to retreat back to its watery home. Even wildlife didn't deter scoring in Round 1. Berger, Russell Henley and Sami Valimaki all shot 63, Rickie Fowler was among those at 64, Jordan Spieth — continuing his comeback after wrist surgery — shot 65, and Horschel, Zach Johnson and Camilo Villegas were among those who opened with a 66. For the day, the average score was 68.62, the lowest ever for a tournament round at PGA National. And nobody had an easier time than Knapp, who finished no better than a tie for 17th in any of his first seven starts of 2025 — and then played his way into golf history at PGA National, a course that players have said has been less punitive in recent years. He needed to make only 98 feet of putts, a tribute to a day of excellent ball-striking. 'You still have to hit shots. You have to make putts,' Fowler said. 'Yeah, 59 anywhere is hard to do. I don't care if you go play from 6,500 yards. You still have to make putts. You still have to hit it close enough to have those opportunities. With this place, we've seen some low scores, guys get after it when the conditions are right. But obviously no one has shot 59 before out here.' Knapp has one PGA Tour win, that coming at last year's Mexico Open. He's played the Cognizant only once before, tying for fourth last year after shooting three rounds of 68 or better and finishing at 13 under. And this year, so far, he's even better. 'You've got to tip your hat to him,' Horschel said. 'He shot a 12-under-par 59 at PGA National, which no one ever thought.' Horschel and Knapp crossed paths after the round, and Horschel — offering congratulations — told him he would have wagered 'a lot of money ... like, a lot of money' on nobody ever shooting 59 at PGA National. 'I feel like I shot 4 over after seeing what you shot,' Horschel told Knapp as he walked away. Knapp started Thursday with five straight birdies, that stretch highlighted by a 60-foot chip-in at the par-4 second hole. The birdies kept coming in bunches; three in a row on holes 9 through 11, three more coming on holes 13 through 15 — the last of those a big breaking putt from 31 feet, going across the green before dropping dead center into the cup. Mike Stephens, Knapp's caddie, said they were not afraid to talk about the chances that awaited on the final three holes. 'I think if anything, maybe your playing competitors try to give you a little distance or whatnot, but he likes to talk,' Stephens said. 'So, we'd kind of go over things on the last couple (holes), to try to fill the time. Just to keep it the same. ... Just another day.' Well, not quite. A 59 is not just another day. 'Whether I shot 89 or 59, I'm going to come back out and do my job tomorrow,' Knapp said.
