Jake Knapp ‘grinded it out’ for first PGA Tour victory at Mexico Open | Golf Central | Golf Channel

Golf Central reacts to Jake Knapp’s first PGA Tour victory despite facing adversity in the final round and his ability to hold off Sami Valimaki down the stretch. #GolfChannel #PGATour #MexicoOpenAtVidanta
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Jake Knapp ‘grinded it out’ for first PGA Tour victory at Mexico Open | Golf Central | Golf Channel
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[Music]
hi there thanks for teing up with us
here on golf Central I am Todd Lewis
proud to be sitting beside a guy who
knows how to went on tour five time
winner Jim Gallagher Jr we are live on
site here at vant Bala where we saw a
possible star in the making and Jake
knap may not been may not have been the
prettiest golf plate out there but
ultimately it was effective Jake knap
gets the win you know that first win is
tough to to get and then you win a lot
of different ways I don’t know that when
he went the bed or when he woke up this
morning this is what he envisioned it
would come down to but it was tough
early uh he missed some shots left and
then he started missing it right golf
swing was not there he didn’t look
confident at all but he ultimately got
down to a short game I think the biggest
key is he grinded it out uh and you got
to wonder what’s going through your mind
or what goes through your mind when you
get off to that start and then all of a
sudden they get to seven and the fourth
shot lead’s gone uh but every time it
looked like you know Sammy was going to
get him he’d make a mistake and it
wasn’t very pretty at the end ultimately
uh you know na he grinded it out and to
his credit it it had to be
nerve-wracking and he fought that and
you got to wonder at what point did he
finally was able to maybe relax and
think I might have this and it probably
wasn’t until he got that ball on the
green on 18 yeah you know he didn’t hit
his first Fairway until the eight pole
and to your point it wasn’t missing in
One Direction it was going in both
directions and that is kryptonite on the
PJ tour right yeah and especially I
would say on the on the back n or the
last few holes it was more right but
you’re right when you start missing it
left or right you’re going like where do
I aim but to me it looked like his body
was lined up left but his his shoulders
were a little bit square at times uh it
was out of syn it wasn’t committed in a
lot of those swings he went back to the
two-wood he just didn’t have he missed
iron shots as well uh but ultimately he
made some great saves at the end that
didn’t look like he was nervous we
talked about his short game maybe of all
the things cuz he led in five categories
coming into the final round and
ultimately was some great chips and some
great putts at the end when you’re
nervous you feel it in your hands
ultimately he was nervous but he was
able to control those yeah he lost
himself a little bit but found himself
late and I think that’s that’s why he’s
holding the trophy here uh he learned a
lot learned how to win with your Bame
today uh we’re going to show you how
Jake naap was able to get it done again
he’s starting the day with a four shot
advantage over Sammy alaki and here he
is on the t-shot on one yeah he he’s
Square to Square here it’s not a setup
problem here he just kind of tugged this
one up that left side and it’s going
more left now he missed the Fairway
yesterday and he hit it close but this
goes up on the slope and he’s very
fortunate he got a pretty good kick to
get it back down there to the cart path
a lot of things could happen there
problem was he got it kind of down there
in that little bit of rough but he he’d
get relief from that yeah so he would
boy there balamaki trying to creep
closer here he is again on the par for a
third and look at this yeah lower body
stopped upper butter took over just
flipped it that was just a terrible shot
to get he actually got away with a t-
shot at too but that shot had no chance
but to go anywhere but in the penalty
area yeah he had about 220 in he
ultimately made a good
Bogey and suddenly his lead is down to
two now here comes balamaki he’s even
through three holes on the par four
fourth this is his second yeah it’s a
good looking shot here he looked calm he
was focused not a whole lot chatter
between the two of them and a beautiful
shot in
there he makes that and suddenly he’s
just one behind nap move now to the par
47 this is a short par for and what a
shot here yeah it was 28 to the front we
uh talked about this hole in our Bush
nail shot this morning that this could
be a pivotal hole in the tournament
everybody could drive it most of the
guys almost all the guys went for but
look at this shot here he feeds that up
there within 10 ft that’s for
Eagle so valami applying some pressure
while nap is leaking oil now his t- shot
ended up in the bunker on seven this is
a good one here yeah fortunately it was
kind of some wet sand so you feel like
you could he could spin it and it comes
off the slope soft like there Nice Shot
there that’s that’s well played that was
a tougher shot than he made it
SE however balamaki made that eagle and
they go to the E and they are tied mov
now to the 10th and this is where things
got a little squirly for bami yeah they
had to wait a good five or 10 minutes
Ben silver been hit in the water uh and
had some issues here but this is just
way to the right and that’s where you
cannot miss it and that’s down into the
penalty area no chance to stay up now
nap watching what’s going on this is his
third he missed the green on 10 yeah
he’s very fortunate off the te hadit a
halfway decent shot here this was I
think one of the best chops he hit all
day he went up in the air with it over
the slope gets that within a foot and a
tap in great save there on toughest hole
in the golf course yeah this back n is
where his short game really saved him
moved out to the 13th he missed the
green and look at this one yeah pass pal
this is what so much fun to play off
this if you can just get the club on the
ball like he did that’s coming off the
down slope well played there is actually
have a little bit of spin on it but make
aart there he stays at 18 under he’s got
the the lead Sami balamia trying to
apply some pressure here he is missing
the green on 13 that’s his second shot
out of the bunker not great no I don’t
know if he was trying to play the chunk
and role but it was definitely the chunk
part yeah he did not make that put he
bogeys the hole and suddenly he’s trying
to catch naap now balamaki on the par
514 is third yeah he went up in the air
with this one I thought he might go a
little bit lower with that cuz he did
have it the back of his stance and that
spins up and that’s not a very good shot
there that’s 25 ft short all right now
his third shot on the par 514 yeah got
this light see if he can clip this one
off there nicely just so soft hands
going through just over the slope and
this is a wonderful play right here on
the par five yeah he makes that bami
does not make his birdie and now nap has
a twos shot lead moved to seeven to the
18th H rather and this is the t- shot of
bami and Jak in the bunker on the left
here and that’s kind of that guide come
out of it swing there is OB to the right
and he is cautiously begging for this to
stay left hits the cart path hits it
again and it just continues to go on
down the cart path check out where it is
it’s in bounds but unfortunately he’s
going to have to take out unplayable
that’s up against a boundary so you had
to take a drop there and that with the
door open for nap who laid up to there
and this is his third uh and the relief
is now here I mean he I think you at
this point can realize hey I’ve got one
hand on the trophy I’ve really grinded
it out now this for birdie pretty good
looking
stroke yeah all it needs is two pets
yeah that’s boom pretty good
relief all right so you take your time
you soak it
in and tap it
in and Jake nap thans to an even bar
round of
71 gets the victory by
two actually could have threp puted that
last so there and and still W and gets a
congratulatory hug from balamaki other
young players you saw them run out and
splash water on him this is a a very
popular win Jake nap he has struggled to
get to the PGA Tour he’s not a young
rookie he’s 29 fought of the Canadian
tour played on the corn fairy tour last
year earn his PGA Tour card and this is
not a flash in the pan finished third at
the Farm’s Insurance open next stop at
the WM Phoenix Open had a top 30 finish
there so he has been trending a bit and
now he crosses the line and wins on the
PGA
tour