Round Up: Russell Knox secures spot in WGC Match Play

Russell Knox has secured a spot in next week’s WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in Texas after retaining his position in the top 64 in the world rankings after The Players Championship.

Scotland's Russell Knox in action during The Players Championship at Sawgress. Picture: Gregory Shamus/Getty

The Scottish No 1 headed into the event at Sawgrass sitting 64th, meaning that he couldn’t afford to drop in the standings to be guaranteed a berth in the tournament in Austin.

He ended up jumping two spots in the updated rankings after finishing joint 35th behind Rory McIlroy, keeping alive his hopes of securing a late invitation for The Masters by climbing into the top 50 by the end of the month.

Edinburgh-based Lee Westwood also hung on to his Match Play spot as he swapped places with Knox after missing out on the Players Championship. It will be just his second start in a WGC event since August 2017.

In the junior ranks, Loretto
School retained the Independent School Golf Association Home Internationals title with a 16-shot victory in an event played at Bryn Meadows and Celtic Manor.

The impressive success at the two Welsh venues was secured for Scotland’s representatives in the four-cornered event by a quartet compring of Cameron Gray (Dumfries & Galloway), Greg McCaffer (Glasgow), Joseph Cookson (East Lothian) and Timothy Chan (Hong Kong).

“They played some excellent golf in challenging conditions,” said Loretto’s director of golf, Rick Valentine. “We last won the event in 2017 and it was cancelled last year due to the snow.”

On the Tartan Tour, the second PGA in Scotland Winter Fourball event of the year ended in a three-way tie at Dunbar as Graham Fox/Alan Reid, Cameron Marr/Chris Currie and Ian Young/Paul McKechnie all carded 62s.