Jake Knapp fires 59 at Cognizant Classic
Jake Knapp recorded a 59 in the first round of the Cognizant Classic on Thursday, becoming the 14th player in PGA TOUR history to hit golf's magic number.
His blistering 12-under 59 also established a new course record. He currently has a four-stroke lead over Daniel Berger and Russell Henley, though much of the field has yet to finish.
"It's just one of those days where everything was kind of clicking," Knapp said, according to The Associated Press' Tim Reynolds.
He added: "Whether I shot 89 or 59, I’m going to come back out and do my job tomorrow."
Knapp fired 12 birdies - including five straight to start the day - and no bogeys. He had a chance to sink an 18-foot putt for an eagle on the last hole, but he missed it and settled for a birdie. If he sank the initial shot, he'd have joined Jim Furyk as the second TOUR player to ever shoot a 58.
Furyk also shot a 59 in his career, giving Knapp the 15th sub-60 round in PGA TOUR history.
Cameron Young and Hayden Springer both recorded 59s in 2024 within 12 days. The former scored his at the Travelers Championship hosted by TPC River Highlands, while the latter pulled it off during the John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run.
On the LIV circuit, Bryson DeChambeau fired a 58 in 2023, while Joaquin Niemann shot a 59 last year.