Jake Knapp’s Historic 59 Leads Cognizant Classic While Horschel Tames Alligators

Jake Knapp delivered a masterclass in golf, firing a historic 12-under 59 during the first round of the Cognizant Classic in Florida. This remarkable feat makes him only the 15th player in PGA Tour history to shoot a sub-60 round. Knapp, currently ranked 99th in the world, started his round with five consecutive birdies and added seven more over the remaining 13 holes at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens. Despite narrowly missing an eagle putt on the 18th hole, his performance was nothing short of spectacular.

Knapp reflected on his round, saying, "I knew I had it going really early, but that can happen and then it can fizzle out pretty quickly. I thought I did a good job of just trying to focus on shot by shot and not letting what happened or what could happen affect anything." His 59 is the fifth sub-60 round to occur in the first round of a PGA Tour event, and two of the previous four players to achieve this feat went on to win the tournament.

Key competitors include Daniel Berger, Russell Henley, and Sami Valimaki, who are tied for second place, four strokes behind Knapp. Meanwhile, Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth are in contention, sitting at seven and six under par, respectively.

In a lighter moment of the tournament, Billy Horschel made headlines for his encounter with an alligator on the seventh hole. The American golfer used his club to guide the reptile back into the water safely. "I'm not afraid of 'gators," Horschel remarked. "They're more afraid of you. I grew up with my dad grabbing their tail when they're on the side of the bank and shooing them back in the water. It's not that big of a deal." Horschel shot a solid five-under 65, further adding to the excitement of the first round.

The Cognizant Classic continues to deliver thrilling moments, blending historic performances with unexpected wildlife encounters.