Knox to keep European Tour membership

HONOLULU – Although his bid to make last year’s European Ryder Cup team came up short, Russell Knox will maintain his membership on the European Tour this season.

Knox, who was ranked 20th in the world when European captain Darren Clarke bypassed him as a potential pick last fall, said he will keep his membership but his schedule will look dramatically different in 2017.

“It’s hard to play the [tour minimum] five events because there are so many good tournaments in the U.S. I don’t want to skip and you don’t want to be flying all around the world like a maniac like I have been,” Knox said on Thursday after opening with a 64 at the Sony Open.

Knox said he will play the Irish and Scottish opens,…