When you hear a pro golfer shot a 59, you probably picture a red-hot putter sinking bombs from all over the course.
But when Jake Knapp shot his career-low 59 in the first round of the 2025 Cognizant Classic at PGA National Resort in February of 2025, he revealed something surprising: it wasn’t because of the putter at all.
In the latest episode of On the Bag with Dan Rapaport, Dan asks Jake Knapp about his 59 round. Jake explains that the day featured perfect conditions — it had rained the night before, leaving the greens soft. He said he was hitting everything to within four feet.
“I hit everything to four feet. Pretty much everything from there on in was just really, really good ball striking.“
Jake wasn’t trying to hole long bombs. He was stacking birdie chances inside gimme range — the true secret to scoring low.
“The course was just dry enough and just receptive enough where you could just kind of take aim.”
He took advantage:
- Calm weather (no wind).
- Soft, receptive greens.
- Confidence in his swing.
“Guys were like, ‘Oh man, you were unconscious with the putter.’ And I was like, ‘No, I hit everything to four feet.’”
It wasn’t about draining 30-footers.
It was about ball striking so precise that he barely needed long putts.
Jake Knapp’s 59 wasn’t flashy putting magic — it was precision, discipline, and perfect preparation coming together.
If you want to chase a career round, build your game from the ball to the cup, not the other way around.
