Russell Knox 'super proud' as last-hole birdie at Sawgrass is worth $150,000

Russell Knox said he felt “super proud of myself” after holing a putt on the last green worth $150,000 to finish joint-sixth behind Australian Cameron Smith in The Players Championship in Florida.

The 36-year-old Scot confidently knocked in a 15-footer for a closing birdie at TPC Sawgrass, the huge smile on his face as it dropped showing what that meant to him at the end of a long week due to weather delays in Ponte Vedra Beach.

Knox, who lives close by in Jacksonville, had been a shot off the lead after picking up three birdies in the first four holes in the final round before having the wind taken out of his sails by two bogeys before the turn.

But, after continuing to play some solid golf, he eventually closed with a two-under 70 to finish in a tie for sixth in eight-under, picking up a whopping cheque for $675,000 when a par at the last would have left him having to settle for a $525,000 pay-day.

“I played well. I fought hard. I was smart. I hit a lot of good shots,” said the Invernesian, who headed into golf’s so-called fifth major sitting 238th in the world but is set to make a decent jump.

“Super proud of myself, especially the way I finished there on 18. It's definitely my best performance of the year.”

Knox, a two-time tour winner, jumped 25 spots to 48th in the FedEx Cup standings on the back of this effort and is excited about the rest of his season .

“Everything,” he replied to being asked what he’d been most happy about in his game. “I drove the ball very well this week.

“I've been working with my coach now, Mark McCann for almost two years probably, and we're finally getting somewhere. It's been great. I'm finally trusting it.

“Had a little putting lesson with Len Mattiace at the start of the week, and that