Jefferson B.A. Knox is an American golfer. Knox is a member of

Augusta National Golf Club Augusta National Golf Club, sometimes referred to as Augusta or the National, is a golf club in Augusta, Georgia, United States. Unlike most private clubs which operate as non-profits, Augusta National is a for-profit corporation, and it does no ...

, where he holds the course record with an 11-under 61 off the member's tees. Knox is considered to be the best amateur golfer in the state of Georgia.

Personal life

Knox was born in

Thomson, Georgia Thomson (originally called Slashes) is a city in McDuffie County, Georgia, McDuffie County, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. The population was 6,778 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of McDuffie County. Thomson's nicknam ...

. He attended

Thomson High School Thomson High School is a public high school located in Thomson, Georgia, Thomson, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. It is the only high school in the McDuffie County School District. Demographics *White, 44.93% *Black, 51.68% *Hispan ...

, and the

University of Georgia , mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things." , establ ...

, where he earned a degree in finance in 1984. Knox is a prior board member of the

Foundation and the First Bank of Georgia.

Golf Career

Knox won the 1998 edition of the

Azalea Invitational The Azalea Invitational is an annual amateur golf tournament. It has been played since 1946 at the Country Club of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina. Several past champions have subsequently gained membership to the PGA Tour, including m ...

amateur tournament with a score of 270. He has also won the Peach Blossom Invitational and is a two-time Charlie Coe champion. He is a member of the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame. From 2002 to 2021 Knox served as the non-competitive marker for the Masters golf tournament. A non-competitive marker is a player from outside the field who is brought in when an odd number of player make the

cut Cut may refer to: Common uses * The act of cutting, the separation of an object into two through acutely-directed force ** A type of wound ** Cut (archaeology), a hole dug in the past ** Cut (clothing), the style or shape of a garment ** Cut (e ...

to fill out the first pairing. During his time at the Masters, Knox became known as a course specialist by beating many of the professional players he was paired with.

Notable Matches at the Masters

In 2014, Knox was paired with then world number nine

Rory McIlroy Rory Daniel McIlroy (born 4 May 1989) is a professional golfer from Northern Ireland who is a member of both the European and PGA Tours. He is the current world number one in the Official World Golf Ranking, and has spent over 100 weeks in tha ...

in the third round. Despite McIlroy finishing birdie-par-birdie-birdie and Knox bogeying the 18th hole, Knox defeated McIlroy 71 to 70. He followed that up in the fourth round by beating 1987 Masters champion

Larry Mize Lawrence Hogan Mize (born September 23, 1958) is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and currently plays on the Champions Tour. He is well known for one career-defining shot – a chip from off the green at the 11th hole at ...

77 to 79. McIlroy would later say that Knox was "...the best e'dever seen on Augusta's greens." In 2006, Knox was paired with Sergio Garcia. To make the round more interesting, the two golfers are reputed to have placed a bet on the outcome of the round. After his tee shot went into the trees on the 18th hole, Garcia finished one over 73. Knox finished 72. Garcia refused to shake Knox's hand after the round. After the 2006 tournament,

Jim Furyk James Michael Furyk (born May 12, 1970) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour and the PGA Tour Champions. In 2010, he was the FedEx Cup champion and PGA Tour Player of the Year. He has won one major championship, the 200 ...

said that Knox could "beat half the field who made the cut." In 2008, Knox was paired with

Miguel Angel Jimenez --> Miguel is a given name and surname, the Portuguese and Spanish form of the Hebrew name Michael. It may refer to: Places * Pedro Miguel, a parish in the municipality of Horta and the island of Faial in the Azores Islands * São Miguel (disa ...

. On the first hole Jimenez drove a long tee shot straight down the fairway. Knox promptly outdrove him. Following this, Jimenez is reputed to have turned to Knox and told him not to outdrive him again. Knox did so again on the 10th hole. In 2018 he made the only Saturday birdie on the 11th hole. Knox has played rounds at the Masters with

Keegan Bradley Keegan Hansen Bradley (born June 7, 1986) is an American professional golfer who competes on the PGA Tour. He has won five tour events, most notably the 2011 PGA Championship. He is one of six golfers to win in his major debut, along with Ben Cu ...

Bubba Watson Gerry Lester "Bubba" Watson Jr. (born November 5, 1978) is an American professional golfer. He has played predominantly on the PGA Tour, and is a multiple major champion, with victories at the Masters Tournament in 2012 and 2014. In February 201 ...

Craig Stadler Craig Robert Stadler (born June 2, 1953) is an American professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments at both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour level, including one major championship, the 1982 Masters Tournament. Early life Stadler was bo ...

Kelly Kraft Kelly Kraft (born October 5, 1988) is an American professional golfer. Amateur career Kraft was born in Denton, Texas. During his final year at Billy Ryan High School, 2006–07, Kraft served as team captain while earning All-District honors. ...

Jason Day Jason Day (born 12 November 1987) is an Australian professional golfer, PGA Tour member and winner of the 2015 PGA Championship. He is a former world number one in the World Golf Ranking, having first achieved the ranking in September 2015. ...

Ernie Els Theodore Ernest Els (; born 17 October 1969) is a South African professional golfer. A former , he is known as "The Big Easy" due to his imposing physical stature (he stands ) along with his fluid golf swing. Among his more than 70 career victor ...

Eddie Pepperell Edward Louis Pepperell (born 22 January 1991) is an English professional golfer who plays on the European Tour. In February 2018, he won his first European Tour event at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters. In October 2018, he won his second Europea ...

and Sung Kang among others. Several notable golfers, including

Phil Mickelson Philip Alfred Mickelson (born June 16, 1970), nicknamed Lefty, is an American professional golfer who plays for LIV Golf. He has won 45 events on the PGA Tour, including six Men's major golf championships, major championships: three Masters To ...

and

Tiger Woods Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods (born December 30, 1975) is an American professional golfer. He is tied for first in PGA Tour wins, ranks second in men's major championships, and holds numerous golf records. * * * Woods is widely regarded as ...

, have sought out Knox for his expertise before playing at Augusta.

Charitable Works

Knox oversees the Knox Foundation, which was started with the purpose of giving back to a charitable organizations and building up supportive funds for non-profit groups in the Augusta community.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Knox, Jeff American male golfers Living people Year of birth missing (living people)