Russell Knox urges Scots to head to the US

• Russell Knox believes aspiring Scots will develop best in the US
• “It was the best thing I ever did,” said the Inverness-born player
• Knox won the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai by two shots

WGC-HSBC Champions winner Russell Knox has urged aspiring Scottish players to develop their games in the US collegiate system, describing it as ‘the best thing I ever did’.

The Inverness-born player made a decision when he was 15 that he wanted to go to the US, and after making it to the PGA Tour via Jacksonville University, the Nationwide Tour and the Web.com Tour, he looked back at his one-time peers back in Scotland who have failed to make it after not choosing to replicate his path.

“I don’t know why Scottish golf isn’t better than it is” – Russell Knox

“I always wanted to come to the US to play in college,” said Russell Knox, who at No.31 is now the highest-ranked Scot in the world following his two-shot victory over Kevin Kisner in Shanghai. “There’s a lot of guys that I grew up with in Scotland that didn’t come to the US to play golf in college. And they haven’t made it on the European Tour as much as they could have I think.

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“My age group, for some reason, didn’t really achieve, and I don’t know why that is. I think if some of the players came to the US and played in college, they would have become better players. I don’t know why Scottish golf isn’t better than it is. It should be. I mean, their amateur systems are great and coaching’s great. But for some reason, there just haven’t been as many players to win, especially from my kind of age.

“But I would recommend anyone going to the US to college, because the system is incredible. You’re playing against the best players, learning how to travel and just growing up as a person, was the best thing I ever did.”

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And after scooping the $1.4m prize, Knox, who resides in Florida with his wife Andrea and has never been a member of the European Tour, admits playing for the European Ryder Cup team is a goal of his, but isn’t sure what he needs to do to qualify.

“To be honest, I haven’t thought about it yet,” said Knox. “I mean, obviously it’s going to be a goal of mine to make the European Ryder Cup team, and this obviously springboards me to a place where yesterday I was nowhere near.

“I have no idea where I stand in making the team or what I need to do. But I look forward to finding out and giving it a run, that’s for sure.”

Russell Knox :: Scots to America?

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