Russell Knox sank a 12-foot par putt at the final hole to win the Travelers Championship in Connecticut by one shot on Sunday, moving the Scot into contention for a place on the European team at next month’s Ryder Cup.
Knox is a dual British and United States citizen and although he carries two passports, the 31-year-old left no doubt where his loyalties lie after carding a 68 to finish at 14-under-par 266 at River Highlands in Cromwell.
“My dad was born in California so I have dual nationality. I’m not sure there’s ever been someone in my position before but I’m Scottish down to the core so I’ll be on team Europe hopefully,” the Inverness-born Knox told reporters.
Knox claimed the title after getting up-and-down from a greenside bunker on the final hole to edge out American veteran Jerry Kelly, who signed for a 64 then watched the action unfold on TV in the scoring trailer.
An ecstatic Knox tossed his cap across the green when the winning putt dropped as his Canadian caddie Bradley Whittle celebrated a second victory at the event previously known as the Greater Hartford Open, having worked for 1994 winner David Frost.
“I said to my caddie Bradley, ‘it’s never easy’. That putt, I’ll remember that one forever,” Knox said, before turning his thoughts to the Ryder Cup.
The win lifts Knox inside the top 20 in the world rankings and offers another reminder of his talent to European Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke ahead of the biennial event against the United States in Minnesota at the end of September. Only five European players are ahead of Knox on the world rankings — Rory McIlroy, Henrik Stenson, Danny Willett, Sergio Garcia and Justin Rose.
Even if Knox is not among the nine players to make the team automatically, he will be in line for one of Clarke’s three captain’s picks.
Gullane, United Kingdom:  England’s Anthony Wall beat Alex Noren of Sweden to win his second European Tour title at the Paul Lawrie Match Play at Archerfield in Scotland on Sunday.
Wall overcame a sluggish start and eventually secured a one-up win over favourite Noren, who missed out on a double following his victory in the Scottish Open at Castle Stuart last month.
The Swede had quickly gone two up but Wall came back to level the contest at the long sixth.
Wall then made birdie at the long 11th to go one up and he maintained his lead to win on the last when Noren missed a birdie effort from 15 feet that would have forced extra holes.
The 41-year-old’s only previous Tour title had come back in 2000 and the 431 events that have passed since then make his wait between titles the longest ever on the European Tour.