Imagine stepping onto the golf course, the weight of years of dedication on your shoulders, only to emerge victorious with your first PGA Tour win. This week's episode takes you inside the recent 2024 Mexico Open at Vedanta, where Jake Knapp's gripping birdie-led triumph is more than just a scorecard tale. Knapp shares his emotional journey, from guarding nightclubs to seizing golf glory, reflecting on the profound influence of his late grandfather, whose memory inspired a tattoo tribute. We also offer a peek into Sami Valimaki's sharp strategies that almost clinched the title, and his determination to carve out future successes on the tour.
Imagine stepping onto the golf course, the weight of years of dedication on your shoulders, only to emerge victorious with your first PGA Tour win. This week's episode takes you inside the recent 2024 Mexico Open at Vedanta, where Jake Knapp's gripping birdie-led triumph is more than just a scorecard tale. Knapp shares his emotional journey, from guarding nightclubs to seizing golf glory, reflecting on the profound influence of his late grandfather, whose memory inspired a tattoo tribute. We also offer a peek into Sami Valimaki's sharp strategies that almost clinched the title, and his determination to carve out future successes on the tour.
This is PGA Tour Countdown, and welcome in everybody, frank Bassett, joining you for what we would probably have to call a special edition of PGA Tour Countdown this week, because with everything that was going on at Veartameco, at Vedanta by Arta Resort, vedanta by Arta Resort VVR We'll just call it VVR. Anyway, with everything that was going on down there, we wanted to just hold back because of the excitement of a lot of the new players really competing against each other at a high level and give you a wrap of what happened. So a few days a little later than normal for PGA Tour Countdown, but this is PGA Tour Countdown, the wrap and it's over. The 2024 Mexico Open at Vedanta has completed and Jake Knapp is your winner. Sammy Balamaki came in in the number two spot and almost took him two stroke differential there, but it was really good Basically match play, final round for those two guys, a lot of fun to watch and another first time winner on the PGA Tour at 29 years old. 29 years, eight months and 25 days to be exact for Jake Knapp. So wow, jake's girlfriend flew in. We all saw that. She came in from Canada and she was there to wish her sweetheart congratulations on the 18th green, where they showered him in water Not champagne water, which is really a lot better for the greens.
Speaker 1:But a couple little quick notes on Jakey. He led the field in birdies 25 birdies this past week and Strokes gained Tee-de-Green 11.532 Strokes gained. Approach 8.649, posted 10 top 10 results and 22 starts on the 2023 Coen Fairy Tour, which earned him his PGA Tour card for 2024. And he won three times on PGA Tour Canada, most recently at the 2022 CRMC Championship. Another PGA Tour rookie, sammy Villanachie, earned his best result on tour this week with the second place finish. This was a signature event and it gets them in great position for the rest of the signature events. So, that being said, let's get to it. Let's hear a little bit from Sammy and then, of course, from your winner, jake Knapp, and after that I'll be right back to put a bow on this thing.
Speaker 2:So, sammy, a great, great week here in Vdanta. Your thoughts after being in contention for the title here I mean played solid.
Speaker 3:I mean I enjoyed the whole weekend in the wind. It was tough grind and then today the front line was going away so I was hopefully to see on the back line. But just take, play better, and that was the case today.
Speaker 2:Until what hole did you think that you had a chance to win the tournament?
Speaker 3:I feel like it's straight away after the first couple holes, especially making the birdie on the number four that was huge and then kind of getting together over there. So I think that was the time when.
Speaker 2:I knew it. How was to share the group with Jake? Sorry, how was to share the?
Speaker 3:I mean absolutely, gentlemen. I really enjoyed playing with him, especially in the last round, and he was so nice and comfortable play with him.
Speaker 2:First time in Mexico. How your thoughts to be and being here with the fans, with all the Latin players playing this tournament.
Speaker 3:I mean amazing. I wanted to come back. So good Richard, great golf course, great atmosphere and nice fans, so I really love it.
Speaker 2:So you had two wins on the DP World Tour right now, and what do you need to change or to add to your game to winning at this level? I mean?
Speaker 3:maybe just a couple more buts drop in. I feel like I have the game to win over here. I just it just wasn't this Sunday. I mean, I was four behind. Yesterday was the Czechs day and he kept it going today on the back now. So I feel like I didn't lose it today each one.
Speaker 2:How do you play the 18 hole? Describers that hold that. We know that you had a penalty. They're getting.
Speaker 3:I had a target on my mind but just before the shot I did a little switch. I tried to hit fade, I don't know why, and normally hit two straws. So I tried to hit like perfect and then just let it on the right. I don't know was it lucky or unlucky. I hit the road, stayed on the blade, then I take a ballon drop and then from there it was from the path to the grass and after that I knew it left. I don't only shot. For me is just try to make five and finish for the second.
Speaker 2:Finally, what's next for you?
Speaker 3:Next week will be, is it Pompey? So in the next week, yeah, thank you, thank you.
Speaker 2:We're gonna do a couple and finish.
Speaker 1:Hey man, sometimes it can feel like you're too busy to take care of our own health problems, doesn't it? But with so much going on, we don't want to spend our free time waiting around in doctors offices and long pharmacy lines. Well, guess what? Now you don't have to with HEMS. I mean, we don't want to admit it, but 52% of men over 40 experienced some form of ED erectile dysfunction but, like many health problems, no one wants to talk about it or take up hours of your day to deal with it. That's why you need to check out HEMS. That's HMS. Hems, it's changing men's health care by providing simple and convenient access to science-backed treatments for erectile dysfunction, hair loss, weight loss and more. The entire process 100% online. You don't have to get into a new routine of improving your overall health anything like that.
Speaker 1:Hems offers an array of high-quality options, including pills or chews for ED and serums, sprays or oral options for hair loss. If prescribed, your medication ships directly to you for free and in discreet packaging. Important thing and discreet packaging. No waiting rooms, no pharmacy visits, I'm telling you. And no insurance. You don't need insurance for it. You pay one low price for your treatments online visits, online shipments or ongoing shipments, I should say, and provider messaging. You can even manage your plan on the HEMS app, track progress and learn more about your conditions and how to treat them from leading medical experts. So here it is. I want you to start your free online visit today at HEMScom slash count down. That's HMScom slash countdown for your personalized treatment options. Hemscom slash countdown prescriptions require an online consultation with a health care provider, who will determine if appropriate restrictions apply. See HEMScom slash countdown for details and important safety information. Subscription required price varies based on product and subscription plan.
Speaker 4:Good evening everyone. We would like to welcome Mexico Open at Vdonto winner Jake Knapp to the media center. Jake, first of all, congratulations on your first PGA Tour victory. We'll start off with some comments. What it's like to get that first win.
Speaker 5:Yeah, it's pretty amazing. I don't think, like we were just talking about, I don't think it's fully sunk in yet, simply because I haven't looked at the schedule and all the events that I'm into now. Obviously, I know the Masters and everything like that, but yeah, it feels pretty amazing.
Speaker 4:And sleeping on a four shot lead. What was it like last night? And entering on number one tee today?
Speaker 5:Yeah, I was super calm last night. Eating dinner and hanging out and going to bed was an issue. And then I kind of woke up early out of nowhere, at like 5.30, and was tough going back to sleep. I was more so just excited to get this day going, and not that I wanted it to be over with, but it was one of those where I was excited to get it going. I wanted to get into the moment but did a good job of kind of laying there for an hour or so and getting a few more hours of sleep.
Speaker 4:And probably not the start you wanted for the round today. But what was kind of game plan with your caddy and kind of turning that over.
Speaker 5:Yeah, I mean it was one of those where we kind of tried to not leaderboard watch and just focus on my game. We knew the course was set up a little bit tougher today. There weren't going to be any super crazy low scores, especially on the back nine, so just kind of felt like it was one of those. If I could have a lead going into the back nine, that if I just kind of make a bunch of pars and force guys to make birdies, it's going to be tough, and if they do get on them. But yeah, after that start wasn't super ideal and we just said you know, it's kind of the three worst holes I could have played and we still have a two shot lead and we got a free tee shot right here. So let's just get this swing out of the way. Make some pars, give ourselves some birdie chances and we'll be just fine.
Speaker 4:Are you someone who typically leaderboard watches during rounds?
Speaker 5:100% the entire time because you know, I mean you think about Kobe Bryant, steph Curry, michael Jordan. It's not like they don't look at the score with a minute to go. So it kind of gives you a good idea of how the course is playing. If I would have seen a bunch of the guys at 12 get to 17 under through nine holes and I'd be like, yeah, okay, the course is very gettable. But I felt a lot of them were at 12, 13, 14 and not really moving. So you know, it was windy and it was playing tough pins were in tough spots. So I kind of, once we got to like 14, I looked at the leaderboard and I was like, okay, it's two man race and I just got to focus on kind of what he does and just kind of played it basically as match play from there.
Speaker 4:What were the feelings on 18 tee, with the lead, with one hole to go?
Speaker 5:You know, walking off 17,. I told Mike, you know, let's have a conversation, because I know that there's some guys that play it left of that fairway into the opposite hole. I was like let's have a conversation. Even though I've never done it and never seen it in the practice round or anything like that. I'm like only place you can't go is out of bounds, right. So. But I hadn't driven it that well all day and felt like, if anything, I was either missing it left or kind of over cutting. So I had a bit of a two way miss going and I was like let's just aim just left of the bunker, hit our fade. If it goes into bunker, fine. If I over cut it, it's in the fairway and he said he loved it. So yeah, just trusted that, trusted our game plan and went about business.
Speaker 4:Was a young final pairing, just your ninth PG tour start in Sammy's 11th first time playing together. What was it kind of like, especially as you guys were going back and forth down the stretch?
Speaker 5:He was awesome. I mean super, super nice kid. We had a good conversation on like number five, just kind of talking hockey and kind of talked off and on two sims. It's kind of tough. I feel like you're just kind of trying to move all day, but super nice kid, very fun to play with very good player and like we talked about it after it was just it was very fun. You know, it was a fun last group. He's a nice kid and we had good conversation and there's it's just going to be a matter of time before he wins out here, because he's a very good ball striker and once he gets that putter going he'll be just fine.
Speaker 4:A contrast of yesterday. You're playing with the home country favorite. What was it like today? As playing with the lead, with the crowds?
Speaker 5:Yeah, it was definitely different. There was a lot more cheers for me, which was kind of fun. But now I mean I just saw Ortiz a second ago and I mean he's awesome, super, super nice kid. I wish him all the best on the corn fair this year. He's a very good player in his own right, but today was great. I mean the galleries were very fun. I mean obviously I didn't give him a ton to cheer for, but when I did, they did a good job of giving it to me.
Speaker 4:On the West Coast swing but not as accessible for family and friends to come out. But girlfriend McKenna was able to fly out. When did you kind of find out she was going to be able to make it here for the final round?
Speaker 5:I jokingly told her at the beginning of the week that if I have a three-shot lead I think I said it on Tuesday I was like if I have a three-shot lead going into Sunday, you're flying down for Sunday to watch. And she's like no, no, no, I'll get my own flight. And then, sure enough, last night she had a big smile on her face and we were FaceTiming and I was like what are you so giddy about? And she showed me her phone and showed that she had a flight getting in at like 12.30 or 1 o'clock and that was pretty cool to be able to have her down here. I know my family was all over at my parents' house watching and doing a little watch party there, but yeah, you know, to have her here and even just having Mike, because Mike, my caddy's been a friend of mine for the last five or six years, so having him here was very special as well.
Speaker 4:And yesterday you shared the significance with your tattoo and the meaning behind it. Was that something you kind of allowed yourself to reflect on last night, or even today, during the final part of your grandpa?
Speaker 5:Yeah, I had a little kind of conversation with him this morning and you know, just talked about the day and wished he could be here to watch it and experience all of it. And you know, I know he's one of those guys that if I ever kind of got down to myself or if I ever got nervous or started doing something bad, he's kind of just kind of whack me on the back of the head and be like come on, get to work. So yeah, there was definitely a little bit of that today, just kind of even though I didn't have my best stuff just, you know, kind of doing it for him and everybody else who's been a part of my team and my family and everything for so long. You know, 29 years old and first win there's a lot of people who helped me along my way. So, keeping them in the back of my mind and, just you know, no quit, no surrender and just grind it out.
Speaker 4:What do you think his comments would be on capturing your first PGA Tour win?
Speaker 5:Winner, winner chicken dinner that's his go to, so I know he'd shoot me a text with that and he'd probably say Gar's on me, Gar's on me when I get home.
Speaker 4:One more for me before we open up to media. I'm not going to give you much chance to think, but now you have way more flexibility with your schedule and to all the signature events and masters. So what's the importance of that? Now for the rest of the season.
Speaker 5:Pretty surreal, to be honest. We talked about it at the beginning of the year with the farmers, with what happened at Farmers and basically barely getting into waste management and not being into AT&T and then not being into Riviera, and it was just like man, this is going to be really tough to play into these signature events unless you win. Everybody wants to win out here. There's a lot of guys who have played out here for a long time but have never won. It's just one of those things where now, all of a sudden, there's a lot of doors open. The masters part hasn't even begun to sunken yet. That's going to be surreal stepping on the grounds there. But Mike and I just keep talking about it, just keep putting in good work, keep putting ourselves in positions at these tournaments and put our head down and go to work and good things are going to happen. Sure enough, this week it worked out.
Speaker 4:Perfect, with that we'll open up. If you guys have a question, raise your hand and Ramon will get a microphone over to you.
Speaker 6:Can you tell us a little bit about the vibe of this whole week here at the resort? Does it feel any different from other tournaments?
Speaker 5:Yeah, I mean, considering my last event was waste management, it's definitely a very different feel. You know, I kind of with my cat and I were talking. It was like man, if we can control our emotions in an event like that, where everything's just crazy the entire time, we're going to be okay, but it was awesome this entire week. I feel like everybody was just in love with this event and everything at this resort and everything going on. You could just feel that, with the galleries and everything else, even the guys I played with in the program just very passionate about it. It was a very, very unique event for me and I'm excited to come back.
Speaker 6:Jake Josebio from Multimedia and Millenium. Tell me about the important parts of the run for you, which you think was the key shots or holes that ultimately won for you, also the last couple of years. This is your rookie year at the PGA Tour and a lot of house has been made by you being working as a guard in a night club. Talk about all the roller coaster that lands you now as a PGA Tour winner.
Speaker 5:Yeah, some key shots today, I would say I mean, just honestly, all the chipping today. I mean like I had to chip a lot coming down the stretch and we talked about that last night. I knew that maybe if the ball striking was off, our short game is going to have to be a little bit more dialed in. So I feel like a lot of those chips coming down the stretch. I felt like I hit a good shot on number 12, kind of just didn't hit a great putt, and then a good chip on 13, 14, 16, 17. So, yeah, I think all those played a big role.
Speaker 5:And then, in terms of the roller coaster of my career, I mean, yeah, I jokingly talk about it with Mike and my family and when I have all these people ask me for autographs and pictures and questions and podcasts and all that stuff, it's like it's hilarious to think two years ago I was working security to bar and you know it was a much different scenario in my life. So I'm very appreciative of being out here, being able to play golf professionally and just this entire atmosphere. I mean it's what I practice and work for every single day.
Speaker 7:Hi, congratulations. First of all, jake, this is holding one radio for Grupo Imaquem, north, northeastern and Central Mexico. If it didn't have a name before this weekend, thanks to you we could have named it Moving Day on Saturday 11 holes, 9 birdies. Can you describe to us how that Saturday came about and what did you feel at the end?
Speaker 5:Yeah, you know, it was one of those days where I was just it felt very similar. I mean, friday I felt like I hit the ball very, very well and I just didn't make a lot of putts. Most of my birdies I either. You know, on 15 and 16 I hit it to 3 inches and 4 inches on those holes and then and that was on Friday and then, you know, saturday came out and ball striking was very much the same Hit a great wedge shot into the first hole and the second hole and a good one into the third hole as well.
Speaker 5:So it was kind of one of those days where it's like you just get out of your own way. You know you're swinging it. Well, go through your process. You know, don't think in the future too much about what the round can be and made a few bogeys but did a good job of bouncing back when I did with a couple birdies. And yeah, I mean, obviously get me in that position going into Sunday. You don't want to get comfortable with any lead out here because anything can happen. So it, yeah, saturday was a big day.
Speaker 6:Hello, congratulations. Many times, the feats are seen like the moment to work on correcting mistakes. In this case, what must be learned with a win?
Speaker 5:What will I learn from a win? I mean today. I mean, yeah, all experiences obviously good and bad you can kind of learn from. I think today learned a lot about my tendencies when I get under pressure like that. I feel like a lot of my misses were kind of the same and I probably should have given myself a little bit more time to warm up. This morning I feel like I probably was rushing through a little bit. So I think next time around just get to the course a little bit earlier, get to the range a little bit earlier, get myself time. Don't feel like I'm rushing, because the entire day you need to be working on lowering your heart rate, not raising it.
Speaker 7:Thanks Jake Rodrigo Tolar from Fox Sports Mexico. In which place of your top 10 or top five do you put this whole experience in Mexico, and why?
Speaker 5:This is. This is number one experience for me. I'll never, I'll never forget this. I mean for the rest of my life. This will be my first win on the PGA tour, whether it's my first one, that only one that I ever have, or it's the first of many. This will always be one that I'll remember, and it's just a special, a very special place. It's a beautiful golf course, one of the best driving ranges in terms of how it's manicured that I've ever seen, so yeah, and then the resort everything, just how well the hospitality is everywhere is pretty amazing here. So I'll remember all of it.
Speaker 4:Congratulations. Kind of off topic here. We're wondering on your player bio. You talked about getting a ball from Steve Williams from Tiger's 9 and 8 match back in the day. Can you talk about that day, what you remember and what that was, what that was like for you?
Speaker 5:Yeah, when I was a kid there weren't many. There really aren't many PGA tour events around Orange County, where I'm from, Costa Mesa, but one of the ones was the WGC match play at La Costa. It's about an hour from my house, so my dad took my brother and I there when we were a kid. I was just hounding Stevie all day to give me a ball, give me a ball, give me a ball. And he kept on telling me after the round, and then Tiger finally closed out, Steve and Ames 9 and 8 in the 10th hole and I was kind of standing back by the 10th tee.
Speaker 5:They walked right by and I asked him for a ball and neither of them really did anything. They walked into the locker room and I was like dang, like there they go. And then 10 seconds later Stevie walked out and it was just like you know, a kid tossed me his ball and it's pretty awesome. It's the only, really only, piece of sports memorabilia that I have that I really cherish. It's just still got it in the same little plastic case sitting on my shelf at home.
Speaker 4:And final few from me Are you someone who is a goal setter? What goals did you kind of have coming into the season and will you kind of have to reassess after capturing your personal and your ninth start?
Speaker 5:Yeah, I mean not really. I mean I've kind of shifted everything internal for me. You know, I just want to feel like I get the most out of every day, every tournament. And you know, we kind of Mike and I talked about it or I talked about it with, like my coach and everything it's like I just want to keep my card this year. You know, I just want to keep it and I don't want to put too much pressure on myself to finish top 50, top 30 or anything. Just get myself an opportunity to do those things. But you know, and even now it's like I would love to win a lot more times for sure, but I'm just going to keep on working hard and trust the fact that the good things will take care of themselves.
Speaker 4:Any other questions? With that, we will wrap things up. Jake, again, congratulations on getting your first PGA Tour victory.
Speaker 5:Thank you, thank you all. You guys Appreciate it, thank you.
Speaker 1:So there you have it wrapped up and bows in place and we're ready to move on. We're heading to South Florida now and see what the boys can do down down south in Florida. We're at the Florida swing, my favorite part of the PGA Tour season since. Oh, you all know, if you listen to this show in golf talk America and some of our other shows, that I lived there, saw grass monitor Beach for a number of years and had the opportunity to play the PGA Tour Stadium course. One of the first rounds played on it with the mr Dye and mr Beeman. So it was a lot of fun back then and it's gonna be a lot of fun now. Enjoy the Florida swing. Thanks for listening to PGA Tour countdown and listening to Golf Talk America and those weekend golf guys and the approach shot all part of the Golf Talk America Network. For the team at PGA Tour countdown and the Golf Talk America Network, I'm Frank Bassett saying we'll catch you in the grill run you.