💪 Former bouncer wins

With the PGA Tour handing out more and more money for its Signature Events, fewer and fewer big names are playing in the regular olé tournaments — like this weekend’s Mexico Open.

Still, despite the lackluster field, a mustachioed smooth-swinger emerged victorious and provided plenty of wonderful storylines.

Before we get into it, a quick reminder that the Quick Nine is a twice-weekly newsletter I started last year to help you keep up with the top stories in golf. If you like what you read, I’d love for you to share it with a friend or two.

Now, onto the news …

1. Knapp time!

Jake Knapp lost his Korn Ferry Tour status in 2021. And so for nine months, to pay the bills, he worked as a nightclub bouncer in his native Orange County, California.

• After this week, the 29-year-old Knapp can add another fun fact to his bio page — PGA Tour winner.

Knapp, a UCLA alum, started Sunday’s final round four shots clear of Finland’s Sami Valimaki.

• Things tightened after Knapp made two bogeys in his first three holes.

• But despite only hitting two fairways and nine greens on Sunday, Knapp — who shot 64-63 in his previous two rounds — found a way to steady the ship and scramble his way around Nuevo Vallarta.

• When Valimaki’s tee-shot sailed right at the 18th, the two-horse race was down to just one.

Knapp’s victory earned him $1.5 million, a PGA Tour exemption through 2026, and importantly, a trip to this year’s Masters.

• “I'll never forget this,” he said after his round on Sunday. “Whether it's … [the] only one that I ever have or it's the first of many, this will always be one that I remember.”

If you haven’t watched Knapp’s silky-smooth swing (which generates a ton of club head speed), you should.

• Currently, he’s the 11th longest driver on Tour.

2. Quick news ⛳️

• Carlos Ortiz, playing alongside several other LIV golfers, won on the Asian Tour on Sunday, racking up precious OWGR points ahead of this year’s major season.

• Anthony Kim is expected to emerge from a 12-year professional golf hiatus at next week’s LIV tournament in Saudi Arabia.

• Ronald Rugumayo became the first Ugandan to make the cut in a DP World Tour event. His clutch putt on Friday to make the weekend was awesome. So too was this video.

• Fifteen-year-old Charlie Woods tried to qualify for this week’s PGA Tour event (the Cognizant Classic), but had a tough round, which apparently included some bizarre behavior from spectators. Olin Browne Jr. and Luke Leonard (son of Justin Leonard) played in the qualifier as well, but also came up short.

• Luke Donald will be in the NBC broadcast booth over the next two weeks — the latest person to audition for the lead analyst role vacated last year by Paul Azinger.

• LIV Golf’s 2023 Player of the Year Talor Gooch is starting a professional bull riding team called the Oklahoma Wildcatters.

3. Good posts 🧑‍💻

It’s official. He is the mayor.

My wife and I have had this conversation many times. Never in a nightclub (and hopefully never this way). But still, relatable.

And … yes. Yes, they do.

4. Coming up this week

The Match — featuring Rory McIlroy, Rose Zhang, Max Homa, and Lexi Thompson — takes place tonight, under the lights, at 6:30 PM ET on TNT.

• The Fried Egg’s Andy Johnson posted a good video on the venue to get you ready.

The Cognizant Classic (formerly known as the Honda Classic) kicks off on Thursday in south Florida.

• Despite its “general population” status, the Cognizant still managed to attract a decent field, including McIlory, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tom Kim, Min Woo Lee, and defending champ, Chris Kirk.

LIV Golf returns this week in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

• All eyes will be on whether the Anthony Kim reports are true.

That’s all for today! Thanks so much for reading and talk soon! - Nick Bastone 

New here? I’d love for you to follow along full-time and subscribe to the Quick Nine.