Jake Knapp went into the weekend with another seven-under 64 at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch to take the lead at 14 under.
The PGA Tour rookie holds a one-stroke lead over Troy Merritt and Matt Wallace.
He made 15 birdies in the first two days to take the lead. Knapp has been focusing on his putter this week. The truck seems to suit his eyes perfectly..
“The greens are so pretty. We were talking yesterday afternoon about how well they held up,” Knapp said after his round. “It was raining in the morning, but they were very kind.”
His flatstick wasn’t as cooperative as it was earlier in the season, but Knapp seems to have regained some confidence after two days of play in Texas.
“At the beginning of the year I felt like my putting was going well, but over the past month or so my strokes haven’t felt the same and the ball hasn’t gone in the hole,” he explained. “So put a little more emphasis on green reading these last few weeks. Yeah, it’s nice to see a few more people joining in.”
He started the day on the back nine, had four birdies in five holes, and made the turn at No. 31. His bogey on No. 3 didn’t phase him, and Knapp hit a 32-foot shot on No. 4 for birdie.
Knapp had three birdies in his final five holes to finish at 7 under par for the second straight round.
The 2024 Mexico Open winner ranks second with a 5.787 approach stroke to the green. He also leads the field in total strokes gained with 9.563 shots from the field.
His approach game was phenomenal. Knapp hit 32 of the required 36 greens, and also hit 4 of 4 on the scramble.
This means the former UCLA Bruin only had to hit 18 of 28 fairways.
He doesn’t plan on changing anything heading into the weekend.
“Keep doing the same thing,” Knapp said. “Scores are going to be low, of course. If the wind doesn’t blow, the numbers are going to keep going up. So I’ve got to keep pushing the pedal and keep trying to get a birdie.”
He’ll keep his head down and continue playing this course, just like he did Thursday and Friday.
“Scores tend to be low on courses like this, so you don’t have to worry too much about what other players are doing,” he said. “I try to get a lot of birdies. It’s a course that suits me, so if I keep going like this I think I’ll be able to get into a good position.”
Knapp has finished in the top 10 three times this season and will continue to do his best in his rookie season, aiming for another strong finish.
Savannah Lee Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through.For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough On all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirls and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.
