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Dallas' Colt Knost raised eyebrows when he turned pro because he forfeited the Masters invitation that accompanied his wins at the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Amateur Public Links. That decision brought more scrutiny after he fell short at PGA Tour Qualifying School.

"It seems like I've always been doubted," Knost said Sunday after his second Nationwide Tour victory. "I'm not the most athletic-looking person. But people should never judge a book by its cover. I know how good I can be."

Knost, 23, went wire to wire at the Price Cutter Charity Championship, jumping to second in earnings with his $108,000 payday. Most important, he earned his PGA Tour card for next year.

Given that, you could make a nice argument that Knost actually made the smart business decision. Having graduated from SMU, he had little to gain by remaining an amateur. Although he would have played Augusta National, he would have had no status on any tour. Now his card is secured.

With that pressure removed, Knost has the chance to earn immediate promotion with another win. He could make the earliest jump with a victory at one of the next two Nationwide events. Heath Slocum holds the record, getting his third Nationwide Tour victory on Aug. 5, 2001.

"I can play the rest of the year relaxed, with no tension," Knost said.

Dublin double: Padraig Harrington isn't the only player from Dublin to win the British Open. The other was Ben Hogan, born in Dublin, Texas.

DQ blizzard: Michelle Wie's scorecard disqualification at last week's LPGA event – her second major rules snafu – provided another example of what can happen when a talented young player is coddled on the shortcut to superstardom: Qualifying for events and learning rules are pushed aside while walking through open doors. Since controversy has become the most consistent club in Wie's bag, "DQ" seems fitting for the Drama Queen.

A Wie fib: Tournament director Michael Stearns said that giving Wie a sponsor's exemption to next week's Legends Reno-Tahoe Open "will be a great experience for the community." Uh, Ropes wasn't born yesterday. What Stearns meant to say was that his tournament, overshadowed by the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, is desperate for publicity.

Rock on: The Jonas Brothers aren't the only Vaquero Club residents making moves. Todd Hamilton is on a nice run with cuts made in eight of his last nine starts. He's been eerily consistent in his last six: T-39, T-36, T-36, T-36, T-29, T-32. And Brandt Jobe's T-11 at last week's U.S. Bank Championship was his best finish since a T-4 at the 2006 Memorial.

Question: Who is the only player to finish in the top 10 of the first three majors?

Answer: Sweden's Robert Karlsson (T-8 at the Masters, T-4 at the U.S. Open and T-7 at the British Open).

Exchange rate: AP golf writer Doug Ferguson surged into the lead of Ropes' prestigious "Best Note" contest with this entry: "Woody Austin received more Ryder Cup points from his tie for 39th at the British Open than Kenny Perry received from his tie for sixth in the U.S. Bank Championship."Colt Knost's $108,000 payday Sunday boosted his Nationwide Tour winnings to $253,628. The total guaranteed he will finish among the top 25 money winners after the season-ending Tour Championship at Craig Ranch in McKinney, Nov. 6-9. The top 25 on the money list earn their PGA Tour cards for next year.