Big guns gets his driver

By Brian Keogh

American heavyweight Colt Knost has his big gun at the ready for Walker Cup action.

And it's all thanks to his Mum.

The US Amateur champion, 22, was shattered when he broke his favourite Titleist driver in practice on Wednesday.

But he sent an SOS to his mother Lu Ann before she left the US for Northern Ireland and she made sure he had a replacement as he played his practice round yesterday.

The Dallas native said: "Everything is good now. I got my backup driver over here and it works just as good as the other. My mom brought it.

"She was planning on getting over here this morning and I caught her before she left. I haven't seen her yet. The guys in the pro shop brought it out for me."

After following his US Public Links victory with another triumph in the US Amateur, Knost is regarded as one of the top guns on the American team.

And while this weekend's Walker Cup represents his first taste of links golf, he's taken to it like a duck to water.

He said: This is my first real experience with links golf. I really enjoy it. I've been told that my game sets up pretty well for it.

"It's just a matter of getting over here and getting used to everything. Obviously you play the ball off the ground a lot more here.

"The wind doesn't bother me with obviously me and Trip (Kuehne) being from Texas with the wind and everything. But I really like it.

"It's very challenging. You just have to be very creative out here and I really like that."

After arriving in Ireland on Friday, Knost reckons he's completely recovered from the jet-lag and playing better than ever.

But what pleases him most is that he's holing putts - a vital weapon in matchplay combat.

He explained: "I've been playing well for the last few months now. My game feels great. Probably playing better than I was in my mind.

"And I'm starting to get the putter going, which is what I really liked at the Amateur. Yeah, I'm very confident in my game and really like the way this golf course sets up for me.

"I'm really confident about everything for me and the team this week."