THERE was very encouraging news for Russell Knox but also one slight hiccup ahead of his opening match later today in the WGC-Dell Match Play Championship in Austin, Texas.

After some 10 month’s uncertainty, Knox believes he has finally found a driver to his liking and is hoping – in his final outing before the Masters – it can help him return to the form that earned him a WGC title and last year’s Travelers Championship success.

Knox cracked the face of his driver at last year’s Irish Open, where he pushed tournament host Rory McIlroy over the final round before finish second to the Northern Irishman.

Since then, Scotland’s top-ranked golfer has beaten a virtual path to the equipment trucks searching for a user-friendly driver – in the interim missing the cut in three of his last four events and finishing well down the field in the other, the ‘no cut’ WGC-Mexico Championship.

He’s now got a Srixon Z565 10.5 degree driver in the bag and could not be happier.

“I’ve had issues with the driver for a long time but I now feel the best about my equipment than I have for a long time.

“I am now looking at this week as the start to my season.

“And the good thing is my first match is against Bill Haas and he’s a great guy and I’ve come to know him well in playing a few practice rounds in his company.

“I’ve then got KT Kim on Thursday and Masters champion Danny Willett on Friday, so it would be nice if the key to getting through the round robin and into the last 16 would be beating Danny, as that would be a nice scalp.

“But every match is going to be tough and there will be no easy one.”

“And winning any match in the least amount of holes would be ideal given the nature of this hilly Austin course.”

Haas, who spent a very long time yesterday on the range under the guidance of his father, Jay, said he was looking forward to his match against Knox after the 34-year old secured his best result in the event a year ago in winning through to the last 16.

“Russell is probably one of my favourite guys out here and I just really get along with him well,” said Haas.

“We don’t hang out off the course all that much but for some reason I just like the way he plays the game and in that regards it should be an enjoyable match.

“Of course, you don’t want to lose to anybody this week but at the same time he’s also been playing some of the best golf of anybody out here and knowing that going into our match I have to bring my A game.

And the only Knox hiccup – but not that will worry the Scot – is that the organisers have stuck a ‘Stars and Stripes’ against his name...