KNOX, GUNN WIN FISTFUL

OF DOLLARS ON MINI-

TOURS THIS WEEK

North golfing exiles Russell Knox from Inverness and Dornoch's Jimmy Gunn have won more than $8,000 between them on two of the United States' biggest satellite professional tours this week.
Knox, pictured first right by Cal Carson Golf Agency, stayed on in the States after four successful years on the US college circuit as a Jacksonville University, Florida student. He has won money regularly on the NGA Hooters Tour since turning pro and he added $5,375 to his bank balance on Thursday when he finished runner-up in the three-round event at Rock Springs Ridge Golf Club, Apopka in Florida.
Knox was lying in 14th place after opening rounds of 71 and 69 over the par-72, 7135yd course. But he rocketed up the scoreboard with an eight-under-par final round of 64 for an 11-under-par total of 204 - two shots behind winner American Andrew Svoboda who scored 68, 70 and 64 for 202 to claim the $10,909 first prize.
Knox had eight birdies in his bogey-free final halves of 33 and 31, including four birdies in a row from the 14th. Over the three rounds he had 16 birdies and only four bogeys, three of them on the first day.
The Inverness man, who was a Scotland youth cap in his amateur days, collected $5,375, boosting his 2009 earnings in five Hooters Tour events to $11,701.
Meanwhile Jimmy Gunn, who campaigns on the Gateway Tour, earned $3,000 for finishing joint 11th in the Desert Series' sixth event, over three rounds, at Anthem Golf & Country Club, Arizona.
Gunn, picture above right by courtesy of Robin Wilson, had rounds of 71, 69 and 70 over the 6813yd, par-72 course. He finished six shots behind the winner of the $24,000 jackpot prize, American Greg Buckner, who scored 69, 69 and 66 for 12-under 204.
The Highlander staged a grandstand finish with an eagle 3 at the long 17th and a birdie 3 at the 18th to double the size of his cheque over only two holes.
These satellite tours charge high entry fees and are very competitive. Normally a double bogey knocks a player so far back on the leaderboard, he does not recover.
But not Jimmy Gunn. He had TWO double bogey 6s and nine single bogeys over the 54 holes but cancelled them all out with an eagle and 17 birdies.
If he could eliminate the negatives, Gunn would be contending for the really big cheques on the Gateway Tour.
ends