Russell Knox is looking forward to competing in the strongest field ever assembled at the WGC-HSBC Champions as he prepares to defend his title in Shanghai.
The Scot is amongst 40 of the world’s top 50 players teeing off at Sheshan International Golf Club tomorrow and - for the first time ever - all four Major winners will take part in the event.
In 2015 Knox came into the final round in a share of the lead. A closing 68, including six birdies, took him to 20 under par and sealed a two-shot victory over Kevin Kisner.
Knox said: “It’s amazing when you get to play against the strongest fields in golf. There are so many massive names here, as there was last year, and it's the best way to test your game to see how you stack up against the best of the best. It's an honour to be the champion here and to come back to defend.”
The world number 20 would become only the second player after Tiger Woods to successfully defend a World Golf Championships title, but the Inverness-native is not feeling the pressure.
“I expect to come here and play well, but obviously winning is extremely difficult, especially against this calibre of field,” said Knox. “This is my first professional title defence so I'm really going to try to soak it all in, do my best, and see what happens. It would be unbelievable to be in the same conversation as Tiger Woods for winning back-to-back titles, but by no means am I going to put extra pressure on myself.”
The win in Shanghai last year was Knox’ maiden European Tour title, gave him the honour of being the first Scot to win a WGC event, and the victory lifted him in to the top 50 in the world for the first time. The main benefit of all of that, has been a shot of confidence.
He said: “I’ve gone over last year a lot in my head – the course, who I was playing with – and in a way I still can’t believe I got the job done. The course was hard, the conditions were tough, I was playing alongside superstars, and I managed to shoot 20 under. It was a dream come true really.
“Last year the formula was straight driving, great wedges, and good putting. I wedged the ball beautifully and made a ton of putts. Since that win I’ve continued to play some good golf and my confidence level has increased. I can now look around the putting green here and say I’ve beaten these guys over 72 holes.”
