Just a couple of years ago, he was working security at a nightclub in Costa Mesa, California, and now his career is finally catching fire at the right time. The 29-year-old Jake Knapp has been riding a wave of confidence since picking up his first-ever PGA Tour win at the Mexico Open back in February. He backed that up with an impressive performance at the Cognizant Classic at The Palm Beaches, where he finished tied at 15-under in sixth place. Now, with that rhythm still working in his favor, Knapp is back in the mix this weekend at the RBC Canadian Open happening at TPC Toronto in Ontario, and he is looking to make another big statement on the leaderboard.

Knapp, who carded back-to-back birdies on the 14th and 15th holes during his third round, found himself in contention at the RBC Canadian Open. He wasted no time celebrating. His girlfriend, Makena White, posted a picture of herself kissing him on the cheek on her account with the caption, “Moving Day in Canada mood.” Knapp was wearing a cap with maple leaves representing the Canadian flag. It was then reposted by the PGA Tour along with clips of his solid play on Moving Day. The caption read, “13-under and tied for the lead. @KnappTime_LTD is all in on Moving Day in Canada 🇨🇦.” This earned an unexpected tap from gold medalist Lydia Ko.

You see, she liked the PGA Tour’s post featuring Jake Knapp. We believe her gesture wasn’t random—Ko understands the grind, and for Knapp, the stakes couldn’t be higher. The 29-year-old needs a win this week to secure a last-minute spot in next week’s U.S. Open. This is his final shot to lock in a major appearance at Oakmont. Currently, he is at T6 with 12 under par along with Andrew Putman. Knapp is hoping to turn this weekend into more than just a leaderboard push; it’s a do-or-die situation for him.

But it’s not just LPGA star Lydia Ko showing support—Knapp’s biggest cheerleader has been there behind the scenes every step of the way.

Jake Knapp’s girlfriend has been backing him all along

Not just at the RBC Canadian Open, Makena has been showing up to his tournaments with constant support and presence. During the Cognizant Classic at the Palm Beaches she posted, “17 flights taken + 15 flights cancelled + 1 lost & found passport + 59 = February I need a knapp 💤” and while the caption is cute and funny, it sums up how hectic and exhausting the travel has been for her just to be there cheering Knapp on through back-to-back events and long hauls and she still showed up with a smile and hugged him the moment he finished his round, which has kind of become their little post-round tradition. 

She was also there when Knapp played his first Masters at Augusta National and she posted, “Never misses a first fairway hug First Masters ✔️ I’m so proud of you sweet boy 🫶🏼” No matter how big the stage or how chaotic the schedule is, she always goes all in for Knapp and her support, both online and in person, is just constant and commendable and gives you a real sense of the team effort behind his rise.

Knapp’s proven he can hang with the leaders at the RBC Canadian Open, and a win here would seal his U.S. Open spot. Can he do it again when it matters most? We’ll soon find out.