Why did Jake Knapp withdraw from the 2026 Cadillac Championship?

The Injury and Withdrawal

Jake Knapp withdrew from the Cadillac Championship at Trump National Doral before his first-round tee time on Thursday due to a left thumb sprain. The withdrawal was announced less than an hour before his scheduled 12:35 p.m. ET tee time alongside J.T. Poston. Knapp had also withdrawn from the pro-am on Wednesday and was observed with tape on his hand during practice rounds, indicating the injury had been developing throughout the week.

Tournament Impact and Replacement

Kristoffer Reitan replaced Knapp in the field, taking over the 12:35 p.m. ET tee slot with Poston. Reitan had been first alternate after Patrick Cantlay withdrew due to illness on Tuesday. Brooks Koepka became the new first alternate following Knapp's withdrawal. The withdrawal meant Knapp's 10.1 percent ownership in DraftKings fantasy contests and his position as the fourth-most bet golfer to win the championship became moot.

Knapp's Recent Form

The 31-year-old had been enjoying a strong 2026 season on the PGA Tour, making eight of nine cuts and recording five top-10 finishes. He finished no worse than 11th place in seven of his first eight starts, with his only blemish being a missed cut at The Players Championship. However, this was not Knapp's first late withdrawal of the season; he had previously withdrawn from the 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational shortly before his scheduled first-round tee time in March.