Jake Knapp seeking first-career PGA Tour win at Mexico Open at Vidanta | Golf Central | Golf Channel

In just his ninth start on the PGA Tour, rookie Jake Knapp takes a four-shot lead into the final round at the Mexico Open. After Round 3, Knapp opens up about the impact of his grandfather on his golf game. #GolfChannel #GolfCentral #PGATour
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Jake Knapp seeking first-career PGA Tour win at Mexico Open at Vidanta | Golf Central | Golf Channel
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Golf Central on YouTube is brought to you by the Paradigm AI smoke woods and irons from Callaway hi there I’m Todd Lewis that is Jim Gallagher Jr time now for your golf Central update it’s the Mexico open at Vidant in in the third round Jake naap

In just his ninth start of the PGA Tour came out fiery take you to the action he birdi the first home now here he is on the par for second I love the rhythm of this golf swing right here he hit it close it one and now here at the second

Oh he gets it even closer than that what a beautiful shot knocks that in he’s at 13 under par he’s got a one- shot lead at that point now nap on the par for fourth well he birdied just about everything else but he did not birdy the third but like I

Said this some 16 ft at the fourth and he’s got that one now he’s at 14 under par oh he is not done on the opening n mov to the par three fit look at this downhill put yeah this is a slider 24t just over 24t going from left to right

He’s staring it down with his eyes he’s wed it and he’s got it now he’s at 15 under par move now to the par 5 six and this is a tough bunker shot for his third yeah a lot of guys might go with a 52 and hit a low shot he

Goes straight up in the air with it I thought he might hit a little bump and run but that hey it worked either way he chose the right made the right choice makes that he’s at 16 underpar he would Birdie the par four seventh par the

Eighth now on the ninth hold the par three and this a laser yeah he made a great save of the last hole from about 5 ft but like you said this coming in from right to left hole location on the front portion of the green and a wonderful

Shot right there yeah seven birdies in his opening nine holes goes out in 28 however on the 10th hole problems yeah just kind of laying it up off the te there’s water up the right side about 260 and he gets just a little sloppy with that he was trying to hit a little

Bit of a cut shot kind of hit that little flip and kind of get that lower body going through the upper body took over and that’s in the penalty area takes a drop misses the the green with his third hits his fourth to here this

For bogy the bigger put as he’s made all week I know it’s a bogey put but it’s huge it’s huge because this is what he did on the next ho the 11th for birdie yeah you always talk about bounce backs after a bogey well there’s one right

There so he makes the BOGO 10 Bird’s 11 now moves to the par five 12 and this is his second shot from the Fairway yeah I hit driver off the deck yesterday and hit the flag stick it was just a smooth little cut around that tree the whole

Location just over kind of the middle and that comes up just short that’s well played that leaves himself a relatively easy Chip Shot yeah that cut there shows that he’s not as mechanical as you may think he’s got a little bit of artist in him hits his fourth or third to hear

This for birdie and oh he does one putt machine so that’s his ninth Birdie on his round after 12 holes at 17 under we mooved to the par 3 17th hole yeah cool shot right here flights it down he comes comes off that bogy at 16 what’s he going to do at 17

He looks confident why would he be that’s about 12 ft there makes that putt 18 under par now nap on the par five 18 this is his second didn’t birdie this hole yesterday no it play the par five is all that well but uh he’s only 3 under for the week to

This point right here and a smooth swing here just left of the whole location so he would two putt there misses that eagle putt but still an impressive round today 63 he birdied four of the five par 3es on this golf course today and just own

The opening D again with that 28 has a four shot advantage over Sammy valami you take a look at that card not quite as impressive in the closing nine but still a 63 for a guy making just his ninth start on the PGA tour after his

Round he spoke to the media and leading the questions are own Damon hack this this is the era of the long Ball but you have a very syrupy swing how did it develop how did your your swing and move develop just kind of happened I mean I’ve had I’ve had like

The same childish or childhood coach forever John Ortega um and then now I work a bit with Dana doist but um but yeah Johnny O just kind of never wanted to change anything you know he just always wanted to let me swing how I how

I kind of how my body really wanted to move um and just try to make the best out of it so just done my best to stick with that your college team Ates I I spoke to one of them today who says that you hit the ball an absolute mile how

Much do you kind of leave in the tank and not necessarily swing at 100% I mean kind of a lot I mean like yeah I mean I I I’ve always tried to I shouldn’t say kind of a lot I still move it pretty quick or at least I’m still trying to

Like be aggressive into the ball um I mean yeah like a lot of guys out here we all have like kind of another gear we can get to um there’s a few holes out here where we can let it go for sure um but for me I just think I’ve realized

Over the last few years and especially this year just Fairways are a premium so um tend to kind of hit a lot of that like spinny cut shot and just kind of get it in play and and especially when I’m hitting the ball well I know if I

Can just get it and play off the te can give myself a lot of chances from there you turn in 28 you hit iron off the te at 10 not the shot that you wanted take us through the T shot and also the great bogey save yeah I think that t- shot I

Kind of told my caddy I was like you know that’s the only shot I was kind of like half committed to the the entire week I just felt like I was trying to aim down the left side and wanted to just hit my normal little cut but also

Didn’t want to overcut it cuz I felt the Little Gus and I should have just backed off but yeah just just a bad swing and you know we we talked all the way up to the next shot just about resetting and giving oursel a chance to to make Bogey

And um yeah didn’t hit a great chip there was able to roll the put it and I think that that five was was a big momentum saver for me 29 years of age is is a little bit older for a PGA Tour rookie you’ve taken The Road Less

Traveled you were a bouncer security guard at the country club in Costa Mesa what did those experiences teach you about that could help you as you try to win for the first time on the PGA tour yeah I mean a lot of a lot of appreciation for what I for what I get

To do you know I think uh standing there at 1:00 in the morning every Friday and Saturday night you kind of realize how good you have it when you get to travel and play golf for a living so um yeah I think that and then also just like a bit

Of grittiness the fact that like I don’t necessarily want to have to go back to that so um yeah I think it was a lot of different things but I think it just kind of gave me some thicker skin and allowed me to to get to where I am now

How do you keep things simple tonight uh looking ahead to Sunday just kind of all the all the same for the most part you know um do my do my homework tonight and and go to the gym eat dinner go to sleep pretty early and you know get up get

Ready to go tomorrow one more noticed uh they were using the graphic of when you earned your pga2 or card and it showed your tattoo yeah what does it say there and what does it stand for uh it’s my grandfather’s initials he passed away at the beginning of last season when did

You get the tattoo just um I got it I got matching one with my cousin right at the I believe the end of last season or middle of last season yeah or no yeah middle of last season cuz and I wanted it to show I know that that’s like an

Area I wanted to save um excuse me um just because I know it’s seen in like every single golf photo but I wanted to make sure it’s it’s seen every time when I finish what was that kind of special relationship with your grandfather Yeah he uh very special um sorry no you’re good

Take your time haven’t gotten asked about him before yeah super special I mean family dinners every Sunday night he’s a guy I talk to after every single round um still text him after every round so sorry but uh yeah he’s super special to to me

And and my entire family so I know he’s uh I know he’s with me out there I know he’s watching what’s something you’re going to text him after today’s round um just say I miss him miss talking to him and you know wish he could wish he could

See it it was always like my dream and um and and his dream as well for me to get out here so yeah I’m sorry you’re good but uh no I mean my family and I talk a lot about it and it’s just you know just very thankful to to have a grandparent

That was so close and and so involved in in my professional life and uh and just for our lives in general thank you you got it thank you thank you yep