Success Story

Russel Knox

Jackonsville University

As one of Scotland’s leading golfers over the past decade, PGA Tour star Russell Knox has become the true epitome of a successful student-athlete turned professional.

About Russell

As one of Scotland’s leading golfers over the past decade, PGA Tour star Russell Knox has become the true epitome of a successful student-athlete turned professional.

Jacksonville University

Jacksonville University (JU) is a private university in Jacksonville, Florida.  JU's student body currently represents more than 40 U.S. states and approximately 45 countries around the world. As a Division I university, it is home to 18 sports teams, known as the JU Dolphins, as well as intramural sports and clubs.

Results

He had considerable success from 2014 to 2016 during which time he won the WGC-HSBC Champions in China and the prestigious Travelers Championship on the PGA Tour. Clinched the runner-up spot in the 2016 Irish Open before landing the title two years later. Has been in the top-50 of the Official World Golf Rankings, and has secured a top-10 finish in the FedEx standings. Went close in the 2022 Players Championship at Sawgrass, eventually finishing T6th.

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Meet Russell

As one of Scotland’s leading golfers over the past decade, PGA Tour star Russell Knox has become the true epitome of a successful student-athlete turned professional.

Born in Inverness, Knox honed his skills on the links of Nairn Dunbar and started to make a name for himself on the Scottish amateur circuit, before heading Stateside to attend Jacksonville University in Northern Florida.

He set the school record for career scoring average during his four-year tenure, graduating as an All-American with a degree in business management in 2007, and was subsequently inducted into the Dolphin’s Hall of Fame in 2014.

Knox earned his first full PGA Tour Card for the 2012 season after finishing 12th on the Hooters Tour, playing in first US Open the following year, before his breakthrough season in 2014, when he made the FedEx Play-Offs and narrowly lost out in a Play-Off at the Honda Classic, where he went toe-to-toe with Rory McIlroy, eventually finishing 40th in the FedEx rankings.

Even better was to come the following season, when he reached No.35 in the standings and he became the first Scot to win a World Golf Championship later this year on his WGC debut, with victory at the HSBC Champions event in Shanghai. The win catapulted Knox into the world’s top 50, not only reaching a career high of 18th in 2016 after winning clinching his second PGA Tour victory at the Travelers Championship, but also a career high of 10th place in the FedEx standings.

The Scotsman has enjoyed regular forays back across the Atlantic and earned a maiden European Tour title with a superb play-off win in the 2018 Irish Open, going close again the following week at his native Scottish Open in Gullane.

Alongside fellow Scots Martin Laird and Robert McIntyre, Knox continues to fly the saltire proudly on the big stage in the US, and a recent T6 finish at the prestigious Players Championship at Sawgrass is hopefully a sign of even more to come in 2022.