Knapp’s 59 makes him favourite to win Cognizant Classic, seeks rare PGA Tour feat
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Jake Knapp has just added his name to a very short list of players in PGA Tour history.
The 30-year-old shot a 12-under-par 59 on Thursday in the opening round of the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches at PGA National’s Champion Course.
Knapp’s round is just the 15th sub-60 round on the PGA Tour, and the first since Hayden Springer in the opening round of the 2024 John Deere Classic.
Starting as an +8000 longshot, Knapp’s odds to win the event have been cut to +330 on FanDuel, making him the favourite before Thursday’s afternoon wave hit a shot.
While Knapp joins a short list, he’ll try to join an even more exclusive club this week if he can go on and win the tournament.
Here is a list of the previous 14 players to break 60 in a round on the PGA Tour, and their result in that week’s event.
SUB-60 ROUNDS ON THE PGA TOUR
| Name | Year | Tournament | Round | Round Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al Geiberger | 1977 | Danny Thomas Memphis Classic | 2 | 13-under 59 | T3 |
| Chip Beck | 1991 | Las Vegas Invitational | 3 | 13-under 59 | T3 |
| David Duval | 1999 | Bob Hope Chrysler Classic | 5 | 13-under 59 | Win |
| Paul Goydos | 2010 | John Deere Classic | 1 | 12-under 59 | 2nd |
| Stuart Appleby | 2010 | Greenbrier Classic | 1 | 11-under 59 | Win |
| Jim Furyk | 2013 | BMW Championship | 2 | 12-under 59 | T-3 |
| Jim Furyk | 2016 | Travelers Championship | 4 | 12-under 58 | 5th |
| Justin Thomas | 2017 | Sony Open | 1 | 11-under 59 | Win |
| Adam Hadwin | 2017 | CareerBuilder Challenge | 3 | 13-under 59 | 2nd |
| Brandt Snedeker | 2018 | Wyndham Championship | 1 | 11-under 59 | Win |
| Scottie Scheffler | 2020 | Northern Trust | 2 | 12-under 59 | T4 |
| Cameron Young | 2024 | Travelers Championship | 3 | 11-under 59 | T-9 |
| Hayden Springer | 2024 | John Deere Classic | 1 | 12-under 59 | T-7 |
| Jake Knapp | 2025 | Cognizant Classic | 1 | 12-under 59 | TBD |
Of the 14 players who shot 59 or better, only five won their tournaments—Al Geiberger, David Duval, Stuart Appleby, Justin Thomas, and Brandt Snedeker—a 35.7 per cent conversion rate.
Eleven of the previous 14 players finished inside the top five that week, while Kevin Chappell is the only player to shoot a sub-60 round on the PGA Tour and not finish inside the Top 10 that week. He tied for 47th in 2019 at the A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier.
Before Knapp, only five players who shot 59 or better did it in the first round. The trio of Appleby, Thomas and Snedeker went on to win after their opening round 59s. Paul Goydos and Springer both failed to win but finished inside the top 10 that week, as the only two other players to open an event with a 59.
Knapp is currently -250 to finish inside the top 10 this week and -115 to crack the top five.
Winner of the 2024 Mexico Open, Knapp has proven before he can win on the PGA Tour but hasn’t finished inside the top 10 in a tour event since The CJ Cup Byron Nelson in May 2024.