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Jake Knapp, who topped the leaderboard of the 2024 Mexico Open at Vidanta, recently opened up about the toughest days of his life when he worked as a nightclub guard. The American golfer stunned fans with his resounding performance at this week's PGA Tour event.
For the 29-year-old golfer, though, the road to the PGA Tour was not a bed of roses. He triumphed over his obstacles to ultimately qualify for the Tour. In 2021, Knapp was having financial difficulties and had not been able to get through Q-school to join the Tour. So he began working as a bouncer at The Country Club, a Costa Mesa restaurant.
Jake Knapp opened up about his golfing journey and the time he worked at the nightclub in his interview with the PGA Tour earlier this month. Recalling his struggles, Knapp said that he joined a nightclub as a guard because he wanted some perspective after missing Q-School in 2021.
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Speaking about his journey, Knapp said (via PGA Tour):
"After losing status and missing at Q-School in 2021, out of funds, I needed to be away from golf. I needed some responsibility and some perspective on things. I wasn’t aware that (The Country Club, a restaurant in Costa Mesa) turned into a nightclub; I went there to be a barback. They needed a security guy, and I was like, 'I don’t know if I’m big enough, but I can stand there and look tough.'
"I was there for eight months or so; it was crazier than I thought … Halloween was my second weekend, and then it’s New Year’s Eve and the holidays, so people are going nuts."
Additionally, Jake Knapp disclosed that he spent around eight months working at the club. He worked at the club on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and on occasion on special event nights. He practised his golf during the day and worked at night. The job helped him to fund for the mini-tour events and finally, he made it to the PGA Tour.
"I’d work Thursday, Friday, Saturday nights and special events, which allowed me to practice until 5 or 6 on Friday, and then go to the gym and eat dinner and go straight there, work until 2 or 3 a.m., come straight home, go to sleep, wake up at 10, course at 11, practice until 5, do it again," he added.
"I was thankful I wasn’t living off that job; it helped fund mini-tour stuff and Canada that summer. It made me work a little bit harder and not take golf for granted."
A quick recap of Jake Knapp's performance at 2024 Mexico Open
Knapp has been impressive with his game at the 2024 Mexico Open at Vidanta. He shot three rounds of 67, 64 and 63 to top the leaderboard.
Knapp finished with a score of under 19 and will enter the final with a four-stroke lead over Sami Valimaki. He took the lead in the game after the second round on Friday and extended it after Saturday's round.
He shot 11 birdies and three bogeys in the third round to score 8-under 63 and topped the leaderboard. The final round of the tournament is scheduled for Sunday, February 25.
