Bryant makes winning Colorado Open a family affair

Davis takes home the $100,000 first-prize check for the win, the largest purse in any state open in the country. Knous won $20,000 by finishing second.

For Knous the tournament would have also been a triumphant return home. A Colorado School of Mines graduate, Knous played on the PGA Tour until this year when he retired and began working for Ping Golf in Arizona. He had many fans in the gallery rooting for him.

The tournament came down to the 18th hole. On the final hole of regulation Knous sunk a 20-foot birdie putt to tie Davis at 19-under. Then they returned to the tee box for a sudden-death playoff.

Both drove into the middle of the fairway, and both opted to go for the green in two on the long par 5. Knous’ ball found a bunker behind the green while Davis’ landed in short rough in front. Davis chipped to three-feet. Knous’ bunker shot didn’t make it far enough and rolled back into the sand, and his recovery shot left him a 20-footer for par. Davis tapped in for the victory.

Knous and Davis hugged on the green. It was the first victory by a Coloradan since Jonathan Kaye of Boulder in 2017.

Knous and Davis battled throughout the day, playing together in the final group. Knous put himself in this position with a blistering Saturday round of 61. Davis had entered Sunday with at 18-under after a steady first three days that put him on top the leaderboard. As other players Sunday went low to catch him, he steadily ground out pars.

On the 10th hole a double-bogey by Davis put him briefly in a three-way tie with Knous and BJ Bigley of Schenectady, NY, but he rallied with two birdies over the next three holes and never relinquished the lead from there.

“The ties I have with this place, the tournament, the First Tee – this has been home since I was 6 years old,” Davis said. “I’m so lucky to have (my parents’) support and their love. They never once stopped believing in me and my abilities.”

Davis won the Wyoming Open two weeks ago and hopes to keep the momentum going.

“I’m excited; I’m motivated as ever and I’m super confident with where my games at,” he said.

His mother, Julie, sister Emma and his father all ran to him on the 18th green after the final putt.

“I’m exhausted, elated and unbelievably proud all of his hard work paid off,” Julie Bryant said after the match.

“This family really supports each other through everything we do,” Matt said. “I can’t even tell you how cool this was. I was just trying to stay present and in the moment and not start thinking ahead to what can happen. I know we both didn’t sleep well last night.”

For Knous it was his strongest finish since he retired from the PGA Tour earlier this year and began a career as an engineer for Ping. He and his family moved to Arizona from Lakewood this summer.

“Definitely I was really surprised and happy for the number of people out there,” he said of the final round. “I had some family members and friends watching. It was nice to hear those cheers alongside the people cheering for Davis.”

The margin between the two players could not have been closer. On the par 5 No. 12 Sunday Knous hit his second shot into thick green-side rough. He took a huge flop-shot swing from about 20 feet, and his ball bounced in front of the pin and jumped into the cup. Then it bounced out, robbing Knous of an eagle.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before,” Knous said.

He said with Davis’ big lead built up over three days he just wanted to make the final round competetive; he did that and more.

“It was a battle all day,” he said. “It felt like it was a two-horse race the whole way. Me and Davis were just locked in. It was nice to have three early birdies and catch up to Davis and put some pressure on him.”