Knox aiming to avoid the ruff and win for his dog
RUSSELL KNOX wants to win a big trophy – so his new puppy can sit in it!
The Scottish golfer, who went so close to a third PGA Tour victory at last fortnight’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, travels with a cute seven-month-old cavapoo called Rusty
The dog will be with him at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay
Hill Orlando, which starts today. Knox said: “We took Rusty with us to Pebble Beach then up to the Genesis Invitational and he was brilliant. No trouble.
“He has been fun and is full of energy. A good little guy.
“Having the big motorhome makes it a lot easier to take him to tournaments. We’ll probably get his own credentials!
“He’ll be famous out here and especially if I can manage to put him in a trophy on a Sunday as that would be fantastic.
“If would be great if it could be a large-size trophy like the PGA Championship one.”
Knox is among three Scots teeing-up at Bay Hill, including 2011 Arnold Palmer winner Martin Laird and Robert MacIntyre, who is making his debut in this week’s £6.6million event.
Laird has a new caddy this season in Kevin McAlpine – son of Dundee United legend Hamish and winner of the 2006 Scottish Amateur Championship at Nairn and the 2007 Scottish Stroke-Play at Royal Dornoch.
DEAN SMITH insisted Aston Villa threw away three points last night with this defeat to the top flight’s bottom team.
But Blades manager Chris Wilder said he would do the celebrating for his players after they won with 10 men for the first time in their Premier League history.
Wilder said: “We’ve a big game on Saturday and all the beers they would have drunk, I’ll drink them.”
David McGoldrick gave the home side only their fourth league victory of the season.
But with Villa chasing a European place, boss Smith admitted: “It’s a setback and frustrating. I felt we were better than Sheffield United and should have won the game quite comfortably.”
Wilder felt aggrieved to be on the wrong end of a big decision for the third game running against Aston Villa when Phil Jagielka was sent off for fouling Anwar El Ghazi in a last-man challenge.
He said: “Some of the decisions have been real headscratchers. I thought it was quite harsh.”
The Blades showed character and scored in 30 minutes when McGoldrick played a fine, diagonal ball to George Baldock on the right.
When the wing-back cut inside and crossed to the back post, McGoldrick was there to score the winner off the underside of the bar.
BRIAN RICE believes his Hamilton side’s survival bid is bang on track despite seeing two points dropped.
The Accies boss insisted Guy Melamed’s late leveller was offside but wanted to focus on the positives.
He said: “We’re obviously disappointed to lose the late goal after scoring a fantastic one ourselves to go in front. I thought we defended ever so well. I’ve seen their goal again and I think it’s offside but it doesn’t matter what we think now. The assistant referee didn’t think so – it’s just one of those things.
“It’s another point towards safety. You saw a team out there fighting like hell. We’re now behind Kilmarnock on goal difference with a game in hand but it doesn’t mean anything if we don’t get something in it.
“We’ve been over the course before at this stage of the season and you can either deal with that or you can’t.
“My lads have already proved that they can. A win can lift you up a couple of places.”