How Jake Knapp is Handling the Pressure Returning to Mexico as Defending Champ

Jake Knapp was the hottest name in golf a year ago. He won the Mexico Open, was showered in water by his buddies waiting for him on the 18th green, and videos of him shotgunning beers in an Anaheim Ducks jersey after earning a PGA TOUR card went viral.

The next People’s Golfer.

A week later Knapp teed it up in the Cognizant Classic (formally known as the Honda Classic), playing the first two rounds alongside Rory McIlroy—for a self-proclaimed golf swing nerd, it was a pairing dreams are made of. A big deal for a golfer who was widely unknown seven days earlier. The Northern Irishman clipped him by a shot on Day 1—McIlroy shot 67, Knapp a 68—but had some glowing comments about Knapp and his game.

“Yeah, he could definitely be a star,” McIlroy said. “It looks like he's got the full package. He's obviously got the speed. He can control that speed pretty well. He hit some beautiful shots out there today. Looks like his short game is pretty good. He's got charisma and like we had a good chat out there for a lot of the round. He's in good shape, and he—if he keeps playing the way he is, he's the full package.

“He could be a superstar out here for sure.”

*Getty Images

So, what has Knapp been up to over the last 12 months?

Well, he ended up contending at PGA National during the Cognizant Classic, eventually tying for fourth. Two months later he had a chance to win the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, but couldn’t get much going on Sunday and slipped to solo eighth.

Knapp didn’t finish inside the top 20 in 11 starts after TPC Craig Ranch, but won alongside Patty Tavantanakit at the PGA TOUR-LPGA co-sanctioned Grant Thornton Invitational in December to finish the year on a high note.

Now, a few days after tying for 17th at Torrey Pines, Knapp returns to VidantaWorld to defend his title at the Mexico Open.

“When you win on the PGA TOUR, that's something that nobody can take away from you,” he said during his pre-tournament press conference Wednesday. “Being able to win as a rookie meant a lot to me as well because I didn't win on the Korn Ferry at all the year before, so it felt good to come out and be able to prove that I was good enough to win out here.”

Vidanta Villarta can be overpowered, just look at the past champions: Knapp (2024), Tony Finau (2023) and Jon Rahm (2022). All those boys can move it. So it’s easy to see why Knapp isn’t changing much from his game plan a year ago: bomb driver, and bomb driver often.

“I don't have anything to change,” he said. “There's definitely an advantage to hit it far off the tee. That's something that I definitely try to put a focus on...driving it well and make sure that I have the ability to get it out there a little bit more when I want to on certain holes because it's an advantage to be able to carry it a little bit farther. That's really the only thing, but other than that I try to keep everything the same.”

And he shouldn’t change anything. I’d say it worked pretty well for him 12 months ago.

As for the pressure of being the defending champion, Knapp isn’t feeling it at all—if you’ve watched him play golf, that shouldn’t surprise you, he’s one of the coolest customers on Tour.

“I try to show up and try to win every golf tournament I play in, so I put enough pressure on myself," Knapp said. "If anything, I just feel a lot more support than pressure. I feel like everybody's kind of behind me and wants me to do well...so I think that helps me perform even better.”

Personally, I can’t wait to watch him on Thursday afternoon. It doesn’t get much better than that man’s golf swing. Mayor of Tempo Town-type stuff.