Amazon founder Jeff Bezos once opined that “all overnight success takes about 10 years.” Jake Knapp, who defends at this week’s Mexico Open at VidantaWorld, neatly fits that ethos.

One week after Knapp won the Mexico Open at VidantaWorld for his first TOUR title – his ninth career TOUR start, coming in his ninth year as a pro – he competed alongside Rory McIlroy at the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches. Knapp was in the nascent days of his TOUR career, but the three-time FedExCup champion McIlroy knew what he saw: the sweet-swinging, megawatt-smiling Knapp had all the tools to be great. He didn’t need a full year of TOUR reps to prove that; it was apparent.

“He could definitely be a star,” McIlroy said at the time. “He’s got charisma … if he keeps playing the way he is, he’s the full package. He could be a superstar out here for sure.”

Coming from a 27-time TOUR winner who epitomizes the term “superstar” in professional golf, that’s high praise. Knapp was on the fast track to notoriety, and his next few weeks indicated as such: spots in the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard and THE PLAYERS Championship, ample media requests, fans now shouting his name. After spending most of his career in anonymity, he was a hot commodity.

“It was pretty funny going around (the) Farmers (Insurance Open) as a rookie last year, and you walk up to a tee box and you just hear people mumbling, 'Who's this guy? What's his name? Who is this?'” Knapp recalled this month. “You had to be a real true golf fan to know who I was last year, and I feel like this year I hear … ‘Go Knapp’ and ‘Knapp time’ a lot more.”

Knapp, 30, returns to the Mexico Open at VidantaWorld after a whirlwind past 12 months, with increased fan recognition one of several year-over-year differences. The UCLA alum has fared respectably inside the ropes, making 19 of 24 cuts on TOUR (and winning the Grant Thornton Invitational alongside Patty Tavatanakit), but has notched just two top-10 finishes in that span. It’s all good, though. As he looks back, he knows the victory wasn’t the culmination of a learning curve; it came amidst its early stages. Winning the Mexico Open afforded him a two-year TOUR exemption through 2026, allowing flexibility as he fine-tunes his game for sustained success – while still guarding against any complacency.

Knapp is known for his ability to solve a Rubik’s Cube in roughly 90 seconds, and the process of understanding how everything fits together on TOUR could be akin to that challenge. He spent the first eight years of his professional career bouncing between the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA TOUR Americas (then PGA TOUR Canada), where media obligations were lighter and there wasn’t much friction on the path from the parking lot to the driving range to the first tee. On the big TOUR, you need to plan to be stopped. Some rookies might have a full season to adjust to that bustle – Knapp’s victory meant the bustle would become even more extreme.

Not much fazes Knapp, who famously spent time as a bouncer in the leaner years of his professional career, but it took some time to navigate this new reality. A troublesome left arm didn’t help – “No braces or wraps or anything,” he said last week. “One of those where I was gritting my teeth through it for a little bit too long.” But after recharging during a three-month competitive break (late August to late November), which included some physical therapy, he feels better than ever to attack this TOUR season with vigor and return to the winner’s circle – perhaps as early as this week.

“With winning, I get two years of exemptions, so taking the necessary time off that I need,” Knapp said last week. “Don’t need to come back too soon; need to make sure that two years from now, we’re still happy and healthy, not going to re-aggravate anything.”

That’s one of the many benefits of winning amidst the learning curve. One such lesson from the past 12 months: Sometimes adjusting his practice routine based on course fit. If a course suits his game, perhaps he’ll practice a bit more and make sure he’s 100%. If a course doesn’t fit him as well, maybe he’ll dial it back.

“Trying not to overstress or force myself to fit the golf course, more so look at the weeks ahead that do fit me,” Knapp said. “Just understanding my game and … knowing the weeks when I really want to be peaking and the weeks where it’s OK to take a step back and not hit 300 balls a day.”

It’s a subtle realization, but one that can help a pro avoid burnout in a career that is more marathon than sprint – even for Knapp, who sprinted out of the gates a year ago at VidantaWorld, leading to his first TOUR title. That week, he built a four-stroke lead through 54 holes with rounds of 67-64-63, then closed in even-par 71 to finish two strokes clear of fellow rookie Sami Valimaki.

As he returned to VidantaWorld this week, Knapp allowed himself a day to soak in the memories, but then he quickly locked into the task at hand. The setup clearly fits his game, and a mature Knapp doesn’t plan to let the moment pass him by. It’s an opportunity for success – nothing overnight about it.