Colt Knost surged into the lead briefly on Friday at The Players Championship with a 9-under 63 in his second round at TPC Sawgrass. It's the sixth 63 in the 43-year history of The Players, the second in the last two days after Jason Day did it on Thursday.
Knost made 10 birdies on Friday: five on the front nine, five on the back nine. It seems easy, doesn't it? 'Big Gravy' even flirted with a 62 (which has never happened at this course) after making birdie at the 17th hole.
10 birdies. Ten!
Colt Knost is challenging the course record (63). https://t.co/VbWIosc4SG-- PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 13, 2016
He went to No. 18 needing just a par for the record. Instead, he three-putted from 43 feet and missed a five-footer for the 62. He said he was nervous over the putt.
"If I'm 4 under on the day and I have that four-footer, I'd just knock it right in the back, no issue," said Knost. "But no, there was a little thought in my head that I could do something nobody has ever done around here."
Here's a look at the other 63s in tournament history.
Fred Couples (1992, R3)
Greg Norman (1994, R1)
Roberto Castro (2013, R1)
Martin Kaymer (2014, R1)
Jason Day (2016, R1)
Colt Knost (2016, R2)
Knost hit every single green in regulation on Friday but strangely played the par 5s in just 1 under. At the time he finished, Knost was one back of leader Jonas Blixt, who sat at 10 under after 36 holes.
"In two days I feel like I've made one bad swing and that's when I hit it in the water on 18 [Thursday]," said Knost after his round. "The key to this place is precision. I hit a lot of fairways today and I hit 18 greens. Like I said, if you hit 18 greens around here, the greens are so small, you're going to have a lot of good looks."
Knost is going to have a good look at his first PGA Tour win this weekend.
