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From nightclub bouncer to PGA Tour winner.
That’s the new reality for 29-year-old Jake Knapp, who has won the Mexico Open on just his ninth start on the US circuit.
The American was four shots clear heading into the final round, but had his lead wiped out on a nervous front nine.
But Knapp found some form coming home, finishing with a final round 71 to oust Finland’s Sami Valimaki by two shots.
“Didn’t necessarily have my best stuff today, that’s for sure,” Knapp said. “Knew it was nerve-wracking, knew it was going to be tough.
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“It would have been nice to hit driver better and hit it a little bit better, but was super pumped on how I played in the finishing stretch.”
Just three years ago, Knapp missed out on a tour card and worked in security at a nightclub to pay the bills.
“They needed a security guy and I was like, ‘I don’t know if I’m big enough, but I can stand there and look tough’,” he joked.
Knapp’s life-changing victory earns him a spot at the The Players, The Masters, PGA Championship and the five remaining PGA Tour Signature Events this season.
Meanwhile, Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre secured his best PGA Tour finish yet, finishing in a tie for sixth.
Here’s the full prize money payout from the Mexico Open…
Mexico Open 2024 prize money payout in full
Winner. Jake Knapp: $1,458,000
2. Sami Valimaki: $882,900
T3. Stephan Jaeger, C.T. Pan, Justin Lower: $429,300
T6. Patrick Rodgers, Robert MacIntyre: $283,500
T8. Carson Young, Doug Ghim, Andrew Novak, Erik van Rooyen, Chan Kim: $220,725
T13. Maverick McNealy, Tony Finau, Alvaro Ortiz, Brandon Wu, Ben Silverman, Henrik Norlander: $145,125
T19. Aaron Rai, Greyson Sigg, Martin Trainer, Jorge Campillo, Keith Mitchell: $99,549
T24. Dylan Wu, Nico Echavarria, Aaron Baddeley, Chandler Phillips, Parker Coody, Stuart Macdonald, Chesson Hadley, Cameron Champ, Davis Thompson: $61,695
T33. Harry Hall, James Hahn, Chad Ramey, Emiliano Grillo, Matt Wallace: $44,145
T38. Rafael Campos, Austin Eckroat, Hayden Springer, Ryan McCormick, Jimmy Stanger, Kevin Dougherty, Wilson Furr, Joseph Bramlett: $32,805
T46. Santiago de la Fuente (a), Thorbjorn Olesen: $25,515
T48. Ryo Hisatsune, Cristobal Del Solar, Lanto Griffin, Mark Hubbard: $21,303
T52. Nicolai Hojgaard, Austin Smotherman, Padraig Harrington, Viktor Perez, Carl Yuan, Ryan Palmer: $19,197
T58. Erik Barnes, Troy Merritt: $18,468
T60. Trace Crowe, Ryan Moore, Jhonattan Vegas, Garrick Higgo, Robby Shelton: $17,901
65. MJ Daffue: $17,415
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