Jake Knapp, the 54-hole leader of the Mexico Open at Vidanta after a third round of 63 that iincluded blitzing the front nine for 28, has a tattoo below his left bicep that is visible during the follow through of his golf swing. And that’s just the way he wanted it.
The tattoo features four capital letters—GSFB—that are the initials of Knapp’s maternal grandfather, Gordon Bowley, who died last April at 85 after colon cancer that was diagnosed in 2021 spread to his liver and lungs.
Bowley was a key figure in youth sports in the Southern California city of Costa Mesa, where the Bowley and Knapp children were brought up, and he also was a key organizer for a golf tournament at Mesa Verde Country Club that raised thousands of dollars for a local community group.
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With six boys as his grandchildren, Bowley kept plenty busy going to sports events, and he had a close bond with Jake, who starred in golf at UCLA before embarking on a pro career. Last year, when his grandfather died, Jake and a cousin decided to get matching tattoos to honor him.
“I wanted it to show,” Knapp, his voice cracking with emotion, said of the script on his arm. “I know that that’s like an area I wanted to save … just because I know it’s seen in like every single golf photo. … I wanted to make sure it’s seen every time when I finish.”
Knapp, a 29-year-old rookie playing in only his ninth PGA Tour event, described how “super special” his grandfather was while recalling family dinners on Sunday nights. “My family and I talk a lot about it,” he said. “Just very thankful to have a grandparent that was so close and so involved in my professional life and just our lives in general.”
Added Knapp, “He was the guy I talked to after every single round.”
The most touching part? Knapp still does communicate with his “Papa.” He was asked what he’d write him after the spectacular round on a resort course in Mexico that gave him a four-shot lead in what could be his first tour win.
“Just that I miss him, miss talking to him, wish he could see it,” Knapp said tearfully. “It was always like my dream and his dream as well for me to get out here.”
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
