Knoll will let his game speak for itself
Alex Knoll ran into Jim ‘Bones’ Mackay, Phil Mickelson’s longtime caddie and recent fill-in for world No. 1 Justin Thomas, in the practice area Wednesday afternoon at San Francisco’s TPC Harding Park, site of this weekend’s PGA Championship.
“He told me that everyone was talking about me this morning,” Knoll recalled. “He said everyone was amazed that I played in short sleeves.
“It was really cold [wind chills in the 40s] when we took a picture of the 20 club pros on the 18th green, and I was the only one who [wasn’t dressed in layers].”
Knoll is hoping his performance this weekend in his first major gives PGA Tour players something good to talk about.
After three days of preparation, including playing the back nine and spending two hours on the practice range Wednesday, the Liberty grad is ready to go.
“I feel like I belong,” he said. “[Tuesday] was a big hurdle for me, playing a practice round with [Steve Stricker, Collin Morikawa, Davis Love III and Adam Scott]. I got past the nerves.
“Today was another good practice round. I really had a perfect three days to prepare. I couldn’t have asked for anything better.”
The Jim Thorpe resident tees off No. 10 at 9:17 a.m. local time in Thursday’s first round with Tour pros Scott Piercy and Andrew Putnam.
Knoll expects to finish his round late Friday afternoon (12:47 p.m. tee time off No. 1) being in the hunt to make the cut and play two more rounds this weekend.
The first five holes Thursday will be crucial to the 35-year-old reaching that goal.
The 10th is par-5 birdie hole followed by a par-3 that he birdied
Wednesday and a trio of tough par-4s.
“If I can get through that stretch at even or maybe 1-over,” Knoll said, “I should be in good shape.”
Caddie Mike Guro, who has known Knoll for about 15 years, believes the course sets up well for Knoll’s game.
Guro said there are no true dogleg right holes that require Knoll, who plays a draw, to hit a fade.
The par-4 13th hole is the closest scenario to that. The two finalized a strategy Wednesday for that hole.
“This course sets up great for him,” Guro said. “The rough is ridiculously high. That helps Alex because he hits it straight. Some pros hit it really long, but you’ve got to hit it in the fairway here.
“If they hit it in the rough, they are going to have to hack it out like Alex. It is the great equalizer. Scores are not going to be low, unless somebody hits every fairway.”
About the caddie: Guro played baseball at Moravian and against Jordan Spieth’s father in area adult leagues. His daughter, Jessica, was a scholarship swimmer at Texas at the same time Spieth golfed there.
Spieths parents are from the Lehigh Valley and relatives still live in the area.
The 56-year-old Guro previously caddied for Knoll on East Coast mini tour events.
What’s in the bag and why: Knoll plays all Callaway equipment, including his trusted Maverick driver. He made a couple of switches based on what Harding Park requires.
He put in a 3-iron in place of a 3-wood. He can’t reach either of the par-5s in two shots, so there’s no need for the 3-wood.
The Palmerton teacher and golf coach also added a new club, a 64-degree wedge. It replaces the 48-degree wedge because the bunkers are deep and high, soft shots are required onto the firm greens.
His trusted Odyssey putter could be the difference between playing solid and making the cut.