With the Rocket Classic in its second day, there are a couple of positive events coming out of the tournament. James Piot has made his PGA Tour return after leaving LIV Golf, so fans can see him on the field. Sure, there were a few withdrawals, including Tony Finau, who just needed some rest. There is also Collin Morikawa’s current feud with the media. Something else that is brewing in the fields is the performance of Jake Knapp. This golfer is currently breaking records, some that were just set the previous day, and others that were set decades previously.
Jake Knapp Breaks New Records
During the first round of the Rocket Classic, Jake Knapp wasn’t off to the best start. He was outside the top 100 with a level-par of 72. Meanwhile, one of the star rookies, Aldrich Potgieter, set a club house record of 62 in the first round alone, the same as Kevin Roy. This changed on the second day as something started burning in Knapp. He went from the 72 score to a 61. He broke the clubhouse record that was only established the previous day. This record-breaking means something else, too. With Knapp’s previous performance for the 2025 season, he actually broke a record that had been established fifty years ago.
Jake Knapp Breaks Fifty-Year-Old Record
During the Cognizant Classic earlier in the year, Jake Knapp was able to score a 59 in the first round. A score that got him a lot of praise from fans and players alike. That, on top of his 61 at the Rocket Classic, means that he managed to break a record established in 1975. He has been the first player in fifty years to have a score of 61 and a sub-sixty score in one season. That means that the biggest names in golf over the past fifty years couldn’t make that record. Not even Tiger Woods, who was in the OWGR No. 1 position for two five-year stretches.
This also naturally means that Knapp is the only player on Tour for the season with two rounds of 61 or under.
The Rocket Classic Continues
For a player who was by no means the focus of the tournament. It is pretty impressive, to say the least. Three records were made in just the first half of the Rocket Classic, and one was immediately broken the next day. This also means that Knapp made the cut and moved on to the second half of the tournament. At the time of writing, he is sitting at T7 along with eight other players.
With one more day left, he may end up in the top ten by the end of the event. Maybe the five if he is lucky. Knapp hasn’t had the best of luck through 2025, playing in seventeen events and only being in the top 10 twice. However, with the way he performed in the Rocket Classic, it won’t be too hard to imagine him turning the season around in his favor. All that is left to do is to keep this scoring going into the next events for the season.
Main Photo Credit: © Aaron Doster-Imagn Images
