PGA Tour rising star Jake Knapp ready to battle nerves at 1st career Masters: 'All business'

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A 20-year-old Jake Knapp played on the iconic Chamber's Bay Golf Course in Washington for the 2015 U.S. Open – his first career major after qualifying for the tournament as an amateur. 

While the UCLA golfer was excited about competing for a major championship, he was never able to settle down. 

"I wasn’t comfortable at all," Knapp told Fox News Digital in a recent interview. "I was a college kid who qualified playing 36 holes and going out there seeing everybody, you’re just in full shell shock. The course is super hard and there’s so many people – you’re just nervous from start to finish."

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Jake Knapp looks down the first fairway during the Texas Children's Houston Open at Memorial Park Golf Course on March 29, 2024. (Logan Riely/Getty Images)

Knapp wanted to be a professional golfer then, but thought to himself, "I don’t know how I’m going to play in front of this many people. How is this ever going to feel normal?"

Nine years later, heading into his first Masters tournament at the legendary Augusta National Golf Club this week, Knapp couldn't feel more confident that he could compete with the best in the world. 

"I feel like my preparation’s been good so far. I feel like my game’s in a good place," Knapp, the rookie who won the 2024 Mexico Open for his first career PGA Tour victory, said. 

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For even the best in the world, it can be unsettling on the first tee at Augusta National during Masters week. Knapp has no doubt he's going to get nervous throughout the tournament, but it's different