The American Jake Knapp (-19), with more difficulties than expected, has lived up to the forecasts and has won the Mexico Open at Vidanta, a PGA Tour tournament held this week at Vidanta Vallarta. The 29-year-old Californian golfer has achieved his first career victory on the circuit in his ninth appearance, after earning his card as one of the top 30 on the Korn Ferry Tour last year after previously training on the PGA Tour of Canada, where he won three titles.
The new champion of the Mexican event, who succeeds Tony Finau in the winners’ list, started the day with a four-stroke lead in the standings after a brilliant ‘moving day’ with which he managed to match the tournament’s 54-hole record. And although he did everything he shouldn’t do to squander his comfortable margin over his pursuers, with two bogeys in his first three holes, he managed to steady his nerves and regain his pulse after being seriously harassed by Sami Valimaki (-17), who tried practically until the end.
Rookie Jake Knapp seals the deal 🏆
The moment @KnappTime_LTD became a PGA TOUR champion. pic.twitter.com/LjLehr7NeY
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 25, 2024
A birdie at the 7th, another at the 14th and a good collection of pars allowed the player born in Costa Mesa to move within a margin of two strokes over the Finn, who after a tremendous eagle from the rough at the 7th that seemed to put him fully in the fight, lacked more precision in the last flags to have made things a bit more difficult for the champion. Especially on the par five at the 14th, where he fell short approaching, or on the 16th and 17th, holes where he was not aggressive enough looking for the flag after imprecise shots from Knapp.
With this victory, in addition to a hefty cheque for 1,458,000 dollars, 500 FedEx points (to place eighth) and 31 for the world golf ranking, in which he will make a good jump, Jake secures two more years of card, his presence in the four majors this year, in the THE PLAYERS, in the Sentry of January 2025 and a place in the designated events that remain in the current season. A radical change in his status when he has not even played 10 tournaments as a PGA Tour player.
A touch of class from solo leader @KnappTime_LTD 👏
Nearly the first birdie on No. 10 today, the hardest hole at Vidanta. pic.twitter.com/mUnDHsuGee
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 25, 2024
This tournament, moreover, has marked the debut of Jorge Campillo (-10) as a full member of the PGA Tour, coming from the European circuit. The Extremaduran, who dreamed of fighting today for the top 10, has had to settle for a tied 19th place, very good in any case, after the putts that had gone in on Thursday and Saturday today resisted him. Two birdies and one bogey, for a total of 70 strokes, with which he closes this first appearance of the course on the American tour before trying his luck again next week at the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches in Florida.
However, beyond the more than 100,000 euros he will receive for his classification and signing his best result in a North American circuit tournament, Campillo experiences first-hand the relevance of the PGA Tour, earning more world ranking points than the players who achieved seventh place in the Magical Kenya Open that has been held these days on the DP World Tour.
