Battling back, again: Former North Florida golfer Philip Knowles overcomes more adversity
Former University of North Florida star Philip Knowles hasn't had the easiest time of it since earning his PGA Tour card in 2022.
His first full season on the Tour came to a halt when he cut his hand on a can top at Pebble Beach last year, severing a nerve. At that point, Knowles had made three cuts in nine starts.
Knowles was able to return to golf this year on a medical exemption and tied for 16th in the Korn Ferry Tour's event in Panama. But he then had bouts with mono and shingles and missed nearly a month.
He's rallied again.
Knowles tied for third two weeks ago in the Korn Ferry Tour Club Car Championship in Savannah with four sub-par rounds in a row and a final total of 11-under 277. He was tied for the lead through 54 holes and after a rough start to his final round, he birdied three of his last five holes.
Knowles made 22 birdies for the week, and an eagle on a par-4 hole. He tied for fifth in driving accuracy and tied for second for fewest putts per round.
"It was super-encouraging to play and play well," he said. "I feel great about what I was able to do in Savannah. I had a slow start but I was inches away on a few shots from making it a great front nine. I played the back nine well ... battled all day."
Knowles said he didn't enter the tournament with very high expectations, given his third start of the season.
"I you had told me before the tournament I would make the top-20, I would have been pleased," he said. "To play in the final group and have a chance to win on the last day was just awesome."
Knowles will make his first PGA Tour start of the season at the Myrtle Beach Classic May 9-12 at The Dunes Golf Club, opposite a PGA Tour Signature Event at the Wells Fargo Championship.
He should have some good memories: UNF played four times at the Dunes Club during Knowles' college career. He tied for 13th as a senior to help the Ospreys win the General Hackler Championship.
Miles Russell makes Korn Ferry Tour debut
Miles Russell keeps stacking up the milestones based on age.
Russell, a Jacksonville Beach resident, will become the youngest player from the First Coast to compete in a high-level professional tour when he plays this week in the Korn Ferry Tour's LECOM Suncoast at Lakewood National near Bradenton.
Russell is 15 years old and beats by nearly three years the age David Duval was in 1990 when he played in the U.S. Open at the age of 18. In 2023, Russell became the youngest to win the Junior Players and the youngest to earn AJGA Player of the Year.
Russell will tee off in the first round on Thursday at 9:07 a.m. at No. 10, playing with Kamaiu Johnson and Daniel Wetterich. The group then goes off the first hole on Friday at 2:37 p.m.
Braves pitchers head pro-am list
Three-fifths of the famed Atlanta Braves pitching staff of the 1990s will be playing this week in the PGA Tour Champions Invited Celebrity Classic at the Las Colinas Country Club near Dallas.
The format, used once a year, has separate competitions for the PGA Tour Champions players and the celebrity field. Mark Hensby is the defending Champions player and former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo is the defending celebrity champion.
John Smoltz, Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine are playing, bringing together the Braves' "Big Three" rotation that combined for seven Cy Young Awards when they pitched for Atlanta from 1993-2002.
Also in the celebrity field are World Golf Hall of Fame member Annika Sorenstam, Roger Clemens, Dwight Freeney, Larry the Cable Guy, Mark Mulder, Albert Pujols, Ivan Rodriguez, Emmitt Smith and DeMarcus Ware.
LIV Golf inks deal with New Era
The LIV Golf League has signed a multi-year partnership with New Era Caps to make the long-time Major League Baseball headwear partner "the official cap" of LIV Golf.
New Era products will be worn by the LIV Golf teams and will be available for public purchase at shop.livgolf.com.
New Era, a Buffalo-based company that began in 1920, also partners with the NFL and NBA.
PGA TOUR
Event: RBC Heritage, Thursday-Sunday, Harbour Town Golf Links, Hilton Head Island, S.C.
At stake: $20 million purse ($3.6 million and 700 FedEx Cup points to the winner).
Defending champion: Matthew Fitzpatrick.
TV: Golf Channel (Thursday-Friday, 2-6 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 1-3 p.m.); CBS (Saturday-Sunday, 3-6 p.m.).
Area players entered: Harris English, Brian Harman, J.T. Poston.
Notable: Fitzpatrick birdied the first playoff hole to beat Jordan Spieth, after shooting 63-68 on the weekend. ... The tournament is one of the PGA Tour’s Signature Events, with a strong field led by Masters and Players champion Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa, Max Homa, Ludvig Aberg, Rory McIlroy, Spieth, Xander Schauffele, Wyndham Clark and Justin Thomas.
Event: Corales Puntacana Championship, Thursday-Sunday, Puntacana Resort and Club, Dominican Republic.
At stake: $4 million purse ($720,000 and 300 FedEx Cup points to the winner).
Defending champion: Matt Wallace.
TV: Golf Channel (Thursday-Friday, 8-10 a.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 3-5 p.m.).
Area players entered: Tyson Alexander, Bud Cauley, Adrein Dumont de Chassart, Ben Griffin, Lanto Griffin, Billy Horschel, Patton Kizzire, Russell Knox, Ben Kohles, Raul Pereda, Sam Ryder, Greyson Sigg, Jimmy Stanger, Davis Thompson, Carl Yuan.
Notable: Wallace, who is not playing because of a shoulder injury, defeated Tyler Duncan and Nicolai Hojgaard by one shot.
LPGA TOUR
Event: Chevron Championship, Thursday-Sunday, The Club at Carlton Woods, Houston.
At stake: $5.2 million ($936,000 to the winner).
Defending champion: Lilia Vu.
TV: Golf Channel (Thursday-Friday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; 6-8 p.m.); NBC (Saturday-Sunday, 3-6 p.m.).
Area players entered: Auston Kim.
Notable: Vu birdied the first playoff hole to beat Angel Yin and win her first major championship.
PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS
Event: Invited Celebrity Classic, Friday-Sunday, Las Colinas Country Club, Irving, Texas.
At stake: $2.2 million purse ($396,000 to the winner).
Defending champion: Mark Hensby.
TV: Golf Channel (Friday, 1-3 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 5-7 p.m.).
Area players entered: Jim Furyk, Vijay Singh.
Notable: Hensby defeated Charlie Wi with a par on the fourth playoff hole. Wi had started the week as the fifth alternate.
KORN FERRY TOUR
Event: LECOM Suncoast Classic, Thursday-Sunday, Lakewood National Golf Club, Commander Course, Lakewood Ranch.
At stake: $1 million purse ($180,000 to the winner).
Defending champion: Scott Gutschewski.
TV: None.
Area players entered: Dawson Armstrong, Chris Baker, Fred Biondi, Chandler Blanchet, Cody Blick, Dillon Board, Ricky Castillo, Brett Drewitt, Joey Garber, Tano Goya, Evan Harmeling, Peter Knade, Rick Lamb, Doc Redman, Miles Russell, Julian Suri, Danny Walker, Thomas Walsh, Jared Wolfe.
Notable: Gutschewski beat Logan McAllister with a 47-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Former UNF Osprey Philip Knowles keeps bouncing back from injury, illness
