Rookie Jake Knapp survived a final-day wobble to claim a maiden PGA TOUR triumph at the Mexico Open at Vidanta.
The 29-year-old American went into the final day with a commanding four-shot lead but that lead evaporated within the first seven holes after he bogeyed the first and found the water off the third which opened the door for the likes of Finland’s Sami Valimaki.
But Knapp fought back on the back nine as he concluded the tournament with a final-round 71 to end on 19 under, two shots clear of Valimaki.
“Didn’t necessarily have my best stuff today, that’s for sure,” Knapp said.
“Knew it was going to be nerve-wracking. Knew it was going to be tough,” the American rookie added.
“But I was super pumped on how I played the finishing stretch.”
Victory for Knapp means that he has also sealed a place in The Players, The Masters, PGA Championship and the five remaining PGA Tour Signature Events.
There was a three-way tie for third which featured America’s Justin Lower, Germany’s Stephan Jaeger and Taiwan’s Chengtsung Pan.
The next event on the PGA TOUR schedule is the Cognizant Classic taking place between 29 Feb – 3 Mar at the PGA National Members Club in Florida.