In Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, Jake Knapp emerged as the leader on a thrilling Saturday at the Cognizant Classic, steering clear of disaster on the notorious par-3 15th hole. His two timely birdies near the end of the round resulted in a 3-under 68, giving him a narrow one-stroke lead as the tournament heads into its final day at PGA National.
After starting with a remarkable 59, Knapp began the third round with a slim lead and fell behind by three strokes at the turn. However, his game improved with a 12-foot birdie putt on the 16th and a skillful chip-and-putt birdie on the concluding par-5, keeping him ahead.
“There were moments of inconsistency,” Knapp reflected, having positioned himself at 16-under 197.
Close on his heels was Michael Kim, along with nearly two dozen other competitors. The third round was so eventful that ten players, at various stages, had a share of the lead. Many were undone by the 163-yard par-3 15th, featuring water hazards bordered by a rock wall.
Taylor Montgomery, who had a streak of six birdies on the front nine and was momentarily the first to reach 15 under par, suffered a setback with a quadruple-bogey 7 after hitting two tee shots into the hazard on the 15th. Despite this, he rallied with two birdies in the next three holes to end the day with a round of 68, leaving him three shots behind.
Sweden’s Jesper Svensson, who attained a PGA Tour card through the European tour, was tied for the lead until a bunker shot overshot the 15th green into the water, resulting in a triple-bogey and further mishaps on the 18th hole, leaving him six strokes adrift.
Kim also flirted with misfortune on the 15th when his ball ricocheted off rocks, narrowly avoiding water and landing into the mud, resulting in only his first bogey of the tournament. Despite the challenge, Kim remarked, “I didn’t get as wet as I thought,” his face slightly muddied from the misadventure.
Knapp faced difficulties on the front nine, particularly with his iron play and short game, but he managed to stabilize his performance as others faltered, setting the stage for an exciting final round. The course is expected to become more challenging with firmer greens under the sun.
Knapp asserted, “It’s about taking more cautious targets, being precise with distance control, and understanding that mistakes can lead to trouble.”
Russell Henley and Ben Griffin climbed up the leaderboard with rounds of 66, while Doug Ghim finished with a 68, leaving all three just two strokes behind Knapp. Montgomery and Rickie Fowler (68) trailed by three strokes. The chasing pack, including Joe Highsmith and Max McGreevy with rounds of 64, lurked just one shot further back.
In total, 22 players were within five strokes of Knapp, a group that counts Jordan Spieth (68) and recent titleholder Brian Campbell (66) among its ranks.
Despite recording only the 15th round of 59 or lower on the PGA Tour, few players have managed to convert such a start into a victory. Knapp aims to become the first to lead wire-to-wire in this tournament’s history.
Reflecting on his unique experience, Knapp said, “After such a strong start on Thursday, it was tough to adjust when everything wasn’t perfect. The key was to manage expectations and maintain composure, recognizing the long week ahead and the potential for others to shoot low scores.”
The Cognizant Classic, known by different names over the years, often presents challenges with its water hazards and strategic play demands, ensuring no lead is ever secure. Such dynamics were evident on Saturday’s unpredictable round.
