Colt Shoots Course Record

[50's PONY]

Sun May 13, 2007
SMU's Knost shoots a course-record 61By John Rohde
Staff Writer
ARDMORE — SMU senior Colt Knost came to The Maxwell loaded with confidence. Understandable, considering his career-low competitive score came during the second round of a local PGA Tour event held about 15 miles from campus.



Knost went low with a 64 two weeks ago during the second round of the EDS Byron Nelson Championship.

He went even lower Saturday afternoon during the second round of The Maxwell, carding a course-record 9-under-par 61 at Dornick Hills Golf & Country Club.

Knost's 64 in Saturday's opening round was the third-lowest score in tournament history.

All told, he fired an astounding 15-under total of 125 to take a five-shot lead over Oklahoma State senior Ryan Posey.

Posey placed second at the Big 12 Championships in his last outing and continued his superb play Saturday with a pair of 65s.

Oklahoma City University senior Daniel Mitchell shot 63 in the second round, and then joked with Knost in stunned amazement about losing two shots to the leader.

Knost collected 18 birdies and three bogeys Saturday on the 6,453-yard, par-70 layout that was defenseless with soft greens and barely a breath of wind.

He started on No. 5 in the shotgun afternoon start, and admitted he started thinking about shooting an elusive 59 when he stood 9-under with two holes remaining.

His 10-foot birdie putt at the par-4 third hole grazed the hole, however.

The Maxwell tournament lends itself to lower scores because of its team-friendly format. All five team members play in the same group and the low four scores on each hole are applied toward the team total.

"I really wasn't that nervous. I was just playing with my teammates,” Knost said. "Guys were helping me read putts. Plus we were playing good as a team. It was fun.”

Sixth-ranked OSU leads the 10-team field with a 42-under total of 518, followed by Tulsa and SMU at 523.

Defending NAIA national champion OCU, which is ranked No. 1 again this season, is tied for fourth with Michigan State at 533. Oklahoma is seventh at 544.

The final 18 holes will be played this morning.

A confident and affable Knost said he would have no trouble sleeping on his five-shot lead Saturday night.

"I'm not worried about a thing,” Knost said with a shrug. "If I should under-par tomorrow, it ought to handle itself. Honestly, what happened at the Byron Nelson has helped me a lot. It's given me a lot of confidence. I got to see what I want to do in the future, and the work I have to do.”