I’M CUP FOR IT
Scots ace Knox in the hunt as he targets victory to seal Europe spot
RUSSELL KNOX insists the Ryder Cup will serve up a thrilling spectacle when it comes to Le Golf National in September.
The 33-year-old from Inverness knows grabbing a spot in Thomas Bjorn’s Europe team will be a huge ask and almost certainly require a big tournament victory in the coming weeks.
His appetite for the event along with those more likely to be involved has been whetted by exposure to the daunting Albatross course at the French Open this week.
However, a more realistic target for Knox looks to be gatecrashing The Open party at Carnoustie next month – his short-term goal.
Knox, who controversially missed out on a Ryder Cup pick two years ago, carded a second-round 70 to leave him one under par last night near Versailles.
He said: “For me to get into The Open, a good finish in one of these next three events – here, Ireland and Scotland – should do it.
“Getting into the top 10 should do it. And I have been on good form and I would be very disappointed if I didn’t get a top-10 finish in one of the three. My game feels good and my confidence is pretty high.
“Iif The Open is a real target Ryder Cup is more secondary.
“If I was to win one of these then all of a sudden I would be thinking about it a lot more and that is the way it should be.
“To make that team you should be winning big events. So I have to take care of these next couple of months before that is even a possibility.
“What happened not making the team in 2016 is in the past now. I played very well in 2015 and 2016 so not making the team was disappointing.
“But I had to get over it and I have gone away, played hard, and I am trying to make this one. There is a lot of interest in the course this week because the Ryder Cup is here in September.
“The course is tough, even with perfect conditions.
“You can score but you have to play very well.
“And it is kind of two separate courses mixed in. You have holes 1, 2 and 3 with water and a lot of tricky shots.
“Then it kind of wanders away into the fields for a while and you get a break from the high-stress holes.
“Then you get back to 15, 16 and 18, very high-stress holes with the water again.
“And those water holes at the end will be fun ones to watch in September.
“I imagine a lot of matches will come down to at least 15, 16 – and it will be amazing theatre and it will be a great Ryder Cup course.”
Sweden’s Marcus Kinhult made six birdies and an eagle in a round of 65 to stand at six under for a surprise lead – two clear of Englishman Chris Wood.
The 21-year-old, in a first full season on the European Tour, is the first player since records began in 2000 to start a tournament with four bogeys and lead after 36 holes.
England’s Matthew Fitzpatrick insists the daunting course will favour Europe’s Ryder Cup team.
The 23-year-old, holding a real chance of being part of Bjorn’s side, carded a round of 69 yesterday for a two under total of 140. And the Sheffield professional reckons the tight fairways will be far more intimidating for the visitors from the United States in September.
He said: “I would say 100 per cent it should favour the European team, yeah.
“We play a few golf courses where it is tighter off the tee – not a lot but I would say a few more.
“And I would say also the American courses I have played – without meaning to be rude – tend to be one-dimensional in terms of ball flight. Just hit it high and long.”
American and world No.2 Justin Thomas remains a strong contender but suffered over the closing holes during a second 70 that left him two under.
First he hit a post striking his second off a path on the 14th and then had a double bogey after finding the long grass behind the 17th green.
Thomas said: “It was a bummer not to get more out of a good round.”
It was a bad day for Knox’s fellow Scot Marc Warren who completed his second round but was disqualified from the tournament for signing for a lower score on the fourth hole.