Rookie Knapp struggles but holds on to win Mexico Open
PGA Tour rookie Jake Knapp lost a four-shot lead in seven holes and then held it together with a remarkable short game Sunday, closing with an even-par 71 to win the Mexico Open at Vidanta and earn a trip to the Masters.
Knapp said he still sends a text after each round to his grandfather, who died last year, and this message might require a lot of detail.
He didn't hit a fairway until the eighth hole and found only two the entire round. He never lost the lead, but twice allowed Sami Valimaki to catch him.
They were tied with six holes to play until Knapp took over, getting up and down on four of the next five holes, one of them for birdie. It wasn't easy until the end.
Another big par save on the par-3 17th gave him a two-shot lead going to the par-5 closing hole at Vallarta Vidanta. Valimaki, needing eagle to have a chance, hit his drive down the right side, off a cart path and it nestled next to a boundary fence. He had to take a penalty drop, effectively ending his chances.
Valimaki made par for a 69 to finish runner-up, still a big boost to his rookie season. Valimaki was among the leading 10 players from the European tour to earn PGA Tour cards this year.
Knapp, who finished at 19-under 265, won in his fifth start of his rookie season. Along with winning $1,458,000 and moving into the top 10 in the FedEx Cup, the 29-year-old from Costa Mesa is headed to the Masters and PGA Championship. He also gets into the remaining five $20 million signature events, starting with Bay Hill in two weeks.
It was a big turnaround for the former UCLA player who leans on a pair of initials.
One of them is LTD, an acronym he and his older brother have been using for years that means, “Living The Dream.” The other initials are tattooed on the inside of his left arm — GSFB, which stands for Gordon Sydney Frederick Bowles, his grandfather who died last year.
Playing golf at the highest level was a dream they shared, and Knapp had to choke back emotions Saturday talking about him, apologizing because he had never been asked publicly about his grandfather.
“Papa, thank you,” he said, pointing to the sky as he walked off the 18th green, soaked after friends and players doused him with water bottles after he tapped in for par.
Stephan Jaeger (65), C.T. Pan (65) and Justin Lower (68) tied for third.
LPGA Tour
Local favorite Patty Tavatanakit held off a fast-finishing Albane Valenzuela to clinch the LPGA Thailand by one stroke .
The 24-year-old Bangkok native showcased her prowess with a brilliant approach shot to tap in an easy birdie on the final hole to card a final round 67, finishing at 21 under-par-267 at Siam Country Club Pattaya Old Course.
“I'm honestly speechless. I was so nervous today and choked a bit as there are many Thai fans showing up to support me,” said Tavatanakit, whose triumph marked her second LPGA victory since her win at the ANA Inspiration in 2021.
“It's a dream come true to win a home tournament in front of my parents.”
Tavatanakit has been riding a wave of success, having triumphed at the Ladies European Tour in Saudi Arabia seven days ago. Ranked 43rd in the world, she joins former world No. 1 Ariya Jutanugarn
as the second local champion of this tournament, following Jutanugarn's victory in 2021.
Valenzuela, ranked 91st in the world carded a brilliant 63, including an eagle and seven birdies — six on the back nine — finishing at 20 under-par-268.
“I gave it my all out there. I'm proud of my performance,” she said.
Sei Young Kim and Hyejin Choi tied for third.
DP World Tour
Only a week after delivering groceries to make ends meet, 2,930th-ranked Joe Dean finished tied for second at the Kenya Open to earn himself $216,000 and a huge shot of confidence.
“I don't think it's sunk in yet,” the Englishman said. “It's what people dream of, it's what I've been aiming to do for a long time.”
Dean shot a 4-under 67, including five birdies, to share a second-place finish with Spaniard Nacho Elvira (66) at two shots behind tournament winner Darius Van Driel, who claimed his first European Tour win at age 34.
The 29-year-old Dean had to go back to working for a British supermarket chain after he missed the cut in Doha earlier this month.
“I've never been one of the most over-confident people. Coming into this week was a bit daunting,” he said. “Luckily, I managed to get over that quickly and figure out how to get around the golf course.”
Van Driel (67) only had four bogeys throughout the tournament at Muthaiga Golf Club, including one Sunday. He finished at 14 under overall.
“It means a lot,” Van Driel said about his first title. “I was calm, but once the last putt went in I felt the emotions. I never thought it would hit that hard, but it did.”