Knapp back in Kelowna where his pro career began

KELOWNA, British Columbia—Jake Knapp is back. And so, too, is PGA TOUR Canada.

Knapp, who won the CRMC Championship presented by Gertens last week, headlines the field at the GolfBC Championship at Gallagher’s Canyon Golf Club. He won the tournament in 2019 and began his professional career at the event as a Monday qualifier, in 2016.

“I’ve always liked coming here. The city itself, everything about it is fun to come to,” said Knapp, who did note it’s a tough, walking course. “A lot of it is hilly, and there are a lot of ups and downs. But I just think it’s a beautiful spot. It’s really fun to come to.”

Knapp has fond memories of his first tournament as a pro. The tournament ran out of caddies five years ago, so he enlisted his father into duty. Knapp played well enough to have his name on the leaderboard after an opening-round 65, but officials created no name plates for Monday qualifiers. A fellow golfer joked that Knapp needed to make a name tag for himself.

“It was a really fun week that first year,” Knapp said. “It gave me a little taste of the professional golf life.” Knapp eventually went on to tie for 45th it was one of two cuts he made in seven starts during that rookie campaign.

PGA TOUR Canada has since housed Knapp’s three professional championships. The first two came in 2019, while the other came last week in Minnesota. The latter marked the first time PGA TOUR Canada has played an official event in the United States. This week’s return to Canada is the final full-field tournament of 2022, featuring 156 players. An off week follows, with the Fortinet Cup Championship set for September 15-18 in Kitchener, Ontario.

With this last tournament remaining, there’s an added sense of urgency in a tightly contested battle for the season-long points title and for those hoping to keep their 2023 PGA TOUR Canada playing privileges. Only the top-60 will keep their cards, the same number who qualify for the Fortinet Cup Championship. After this week, the season ends for those finishing 61st and higher.

After eight tournaments played, Knapp is second in the Cup standings. He trails Wil Bateman by a narrow 17-point margin. A large contingent of players are still in contention, and they will look to move up, especially with 500 points available this week to the winner.

Sitting high on the standings as the season winds down is nothing new to Knapp. In 2019, when PGA TOUR Canada still used money earnings to tabulate its Order of Merit, Knapp finished third after making nine cuts, recording those two wins and adding an additional three top-10s. His third-place finish was how he originally earned his Korn Ferry Tour card.

“It’s been in my mind all year, obviously. And, then after last week it’s definitely right there,” Knapp said about the points chase and his big move into the second spot after his victory. The former UCLA Bruin previously played on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2020-21, making 16 cuts in 36 starts. He posted one top-10 and eventually finished 118th on that Tour’s Points List. “I’m not going to worry too much about what Wil is doing or any of the other guys. I’m just going to go out and try to play well. There’s no more pressure on myself.”