RUSSELL KNOX RELUCTANTLY SAYS NO TO SCOTTISH OPEN

RUSSELL KNOX ..... "Super tough decision not to come home for Scottish Open."                                                   Picture by courtesy of (c)Getty Images By COLIN FARQUHARSON Col@scottishgolfview.com Inverness exile Russell Knox, still feeling the pain of losing an International Open Qualifying play-off this week deep in the heart of Texas, has decided that he is not coming home to Scotland to play in the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open at Castle Stuart links, between Nairn and Inverness. Last year, Knox, who stayed on at Jacksonville Beach, Florida after four successful years as a golfing student at Jacksonville University, was a bit miffed that he was not considered successful enough to gain a sponsors' invite to the first staging at Castle Stuart of the Scottish Open. "I grew up not all that far away from where they've built the Castle Stuart course so I was very keen to go back to my roots and play in the Scottish Open for the first time," said Knox at the time. But that was then and 12 months on, Knox, who has struggled a bit on the US PGA Tour this year, has had to weigh up his options and decide that sentimentality comes second to hard-headed pragmatisim. "I will not be playing in the Scottish Open. They did reach out to me but I personally have decided it is in my best interest to stay and play in the John Deere Classic in the USA," said Knox. "My main goal is to keep my PGA Tour card for 2013 and missing a big tournament would make that task a little bit harder. Super tough decision for me and neither decision would have been wrong or right. Let's just hope I make it count by winning the John Deere!" The Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open will be played at Castle Stuart from July 12-16 with prize money of £2.5million. Knox will be 27 on June 21. He was a prolific money-winner on the Hooters Tour before getting a start on the US PGA Tour and earning enough money to keep his place among the big boys of pro golf. But this year Knox has missed the cut in eight of the 11 US PGA Tour events he has been able to play in. His three finishes were joint 30th twice and joint 41st but he has still earned $82,844 so far. But to make sure of keeping his card for next season, Russell will have to top the $200,000 mark - and more. +Russell has a sister who is a radio disc jockey in Glasgow.