HIGHLANDER KNOX UP WITH LEADERS
IN TOP AMERICAN COLLEGE EVENT

Highlander Russell Knox from Inverness and Edinburgh-born Welshman Rhys Davies – the only two British players in the select field – were lying joint fourth at the end of the first day of the Western Refining College All-American Golf Classic at El Paso Country Club, Texas.
Knox, in his final year at Jacksonville University, Florida, has had rounds of 71 and 66 for five-under-par 137, the same total as Walker Cup player Rhys Davies (East Tennessee State) who scored 68 and 69.
Knox, a member of the Scotland line-up who played in the European youths team championship in Spain during the summer, earned his place in the field by finishing in the top 20 in every event he played over the 2005-2006 college season.
He gained an honourable mention in the end-of-season All-American lists in which coaches and the like name their view of the players of the season.
Davies is one of the top-ranked players on the US college circuit so no surprise for this multi-tournament winner to be up there with the leaders with one round to go.
But for Knox to hold his own in this company is a very good achievement indeed.
He has had 10 birdies in 36 holes – three in the first round and seven in the second.
Davies, brought up in Bargoed, South Wales after being born in Edinburgh where his father was working, had six birdies on his second circuit, including the 14th and 18th, which lifted him up to a share of fourth place.
Spaniard Pablo Martin (Oklahoma), like Davies a former winner of the British boys’ open championship, is in joint sixth place on 138 with a pair of 69s.
Niall Turner from Cork, a student at Minnesota University, has had rounds of 71 and 69 for a share of 15th place on 140. Niall had five birdies in his second round.
The All-American Golf Classic is rated by many to be the No 1 tournament on the men’s college circuit. There are only 28 invitation-only competitors and there is no team event.
Normally courses are over 7,000yd long for college tournaments but the El Paso Country Club lay-out is “only” 6,837yd with a par of 71. Not surprisingly, the scoring has been very, very low. Leader Luke List (Vanderbilt), defending the title, set a course-record of nine-under-par 62 in the first round, which was equalled by third-placed Billy Horschel (Florida) in the second round.
List has score 62 and 68 to be making the running on 12-under-par 130, one shot ahead of a fellow Palmer Cup player at Prestwick this year, Chris Kirk (Georgia). The leading 19 players in the field of 28 have sub-par tallies after 36 holes.

LEADERBOARD
Par 71
130 Luke List (Vanderbilt) 62 68.
131 Chris Kirk (Georgia) 65 66.
133 Billy Horschel (Florida) 71 62.
137 Russell Knox (Jacksonville) 71 66, Brendon Todd (Georgia) 69 68, Rhys Davies (East Tennessee State) 68 69.
138 Jamie Amoretti (St Mary’s) 70 68, Pablo Martin (Oklahoma State) 69 69, Martin Ureta (North Carolina) 69 69, Dawie Van Der Walt (Lamar) 69 69, Jarred Texter (UNLV) 68 70.
Other score:
140 Niall Turner (Minnesota) 71 69 (jt 15th).