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- From Cut Line to Victory: Highsmith Completes Historic Comeback
From Cut Line to Victory: Highsmith Completes Historic Comeback
Plus, Jake Knapp Joins the Sub-60 Club at PGA National's Bear Trap
March 4, 2025
SUB 60 HEADLINES
Joe Highsmith pulled off a remarkable comeback victory at the Cognizant Classic, becoming the first player since Brandt Snedeker in 2016 to make the cut on the number and go on to win. After a clutch 5-foot par putt on Friday just to make the weekend, Highsmith caught fire with back-to-back 64s, gaining over 12 shots on the field with his putter and not missing a single putt inside 15 feet during Sunday's final round.
Clutch when he needs it 💪
@joehighsmith33 with a two-shot lead heading to 18 @the_cognizant.
📺 NBC
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR)
10:12 PM • Mar 2, 2025
The win represents the largest final-round comeback (four strokes) of the 2025 PGA TOUR season and launches Highsmith into a completely different orbit in his career. The second-year pro now qualifies for the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the Masters, and the PGA Championship, with his TOUR card secure through 2027 - all thanks to a putt he described as "the worst you'd ever want" but somehow found a way to make.
Jake Knapp made history at the Cognizant Classic, firing a remarkable 12-under 59 in Thursday's opening round - the 15th sub-60 score in PGA TOUR history and the first at PGA National's demanding Champion Course. Starting with five straight birdies, Knapp turned in 29 and sealed his place in golf's record books with a two-putt birdie on the 18th hole after nearly holing his 6-iron approach from 200 yards.
The historic round comes at a fitting venue for Knapp, who finished fourth at this same event last year, just one week after claiming his first PGA TOUR title at the Mexico Open at Vidanta. His composed approach throughout the round highlighted his mental fortitude, especially after draining a 31-foot birdie on the notoriously difficult 15th hole - the first leg of PGA National's infamous "Bear Trap" - which put the magical 59 within reach.
Its all about perspective. 🧠
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WINNERS FROM LAST WEEK: CORE FOUR
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OFFICIAL WORLD GOLF RANKINGS: TOP 60
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