‘Greatest top-60 of all-time’ allows PGA Tour pro to keep his job

Jim Knous called Sunday’s T-57 at the Bermuda Championship the “greatest top-60 of all-time.”

It’s hard to argue.

Entering this week’s Bermuda Championship, Jim Knous needed just 3.516 FedExCup points to retain his PGA Tour card. Easy enough, right? Well, not exactly.

The 31-year-old Knous was teeing it up at Port Royal Golf Club on the final start of his major medical extension, which stemmed from right-wrist surgery in Summer 2019 that cut short his rookie year. A solo 67^th or better would earn him conditional Tour status for the rest of this season and full Korn Ferry Tour status for next season. However, a finish worse than that – or a missed cut – would leave him without a job.

“The pressure’s immense,” Knous said. “I’ve just dealt with it for two years now. It’s just been weighing on me. It’s tough for my family. An injury, it was hard. I’m just proud to be fighting on and have my family’s support. It means a lot to me.”

Knous opened the Bermuda event with seven bogeys in his first eight holes and a first-round 76. Not ideal, but Knous persevered, eagling his penultimate hole on Friday and firing a 66 to make the weekend on the number.

Full-field scores from the Butterfield Bermuda Championship

The drama continued on Sunday. Knous entered the final round in a share of 56^th, and he started 4 over through eight holes. But he again clawed back, birdieing four times on the front nine – his final nine – including the par-4 ninth to finish T-57, good enough for about 5.2 points. Mission accomplished.

“The emotions were going crazy today,” Knous said. “I was running through all the scenarios in my head, which is exactly what you don’t want to do, but it’s hard to block those out. Once that first tee ball was in the air, it was game time, everything kind of pushed to the back in my mind, so I was just able to focus on golf.”

Though he missed out on regaining full Tour status, his conditional membership will still ease his ability to focus for the next nine months.

“I’m going to celebrate with my caddie and my friends tonight and then my family when I get home. Then it’s back to work, job’s not done,” Knous said. “Obviously conditional status, the ones I get in I have to be ready, and I plan to be ready and go low and have chances.”