The girlfriend of American PGA Tour pro Jake Knapp revealed she was dealing with health issues in the months prior to her sudden and tragic death at the age of 28.
It was announced on Instagram yesterday that Makena White had passed away earlier this week. That announcement came hours after the start of the Ryder Cup, which Knapp was not participating in.
In an X post shared back in June, White posted a photo of her laptop as she followed along with Knapp’s performance during US Open qualifying.’
‘We’re dialled #GolfsLongestDay,’ she posted. Hours later, she followed up that post with a photo of her Apple Watch, which read her heart beat at 133bpm, with the caption: ‘(By dialled I mean tachycardic) #golfslongestday’.
One month prior, in May, she shared another post where she was seen wearing a holter monitor, which reads heart activity: ‘The irony of being at a cardiac surgery conference (for my job) while wearing a holter monitor for your own heart defect is pretty funny.’
Another post in April appeared to show that White underwent a procedure: ‘Holy s***. Just rose from 6h post anesthesia nap.’
Makena White, the girlfriend of Jake Knapp, opened up about her health issues in the months prior to her death at the age of 28 earlier this week.
White was open about having a heart defect in multiple posts, including this one where she was wearing a holter monitor back in May. Another showed her heart rate at 133bpm.
Hours after White’s death was announced, Knapp paid tribute to his ‘thoughtful’ and ‘selfless’ late girlfriend in an emotional statement on her passing.
‘Makena was such a thoughtful person whose selflessness toward others is something I will always appreciate,’ the PGA Tour golfer, who is not on USA’s Ryder Cup team this week, told Daily Mail on Friday evening.
‘We shared so many unforgettable memories together and now that she’s no longer with us, it’s a tough reality to comprehend.
‘She had an incredible family, great friends, and her fun, outgoing energy will be missed by all of us.
‘It’s an understatement to say how hard all of this is to process for everyone who knew Mak, especially her family and friends, who deserve privacy and respect during this difficult time.’
Knapp and White went public with their relationship after he picked up his first PGA Tour win at the Mexico Open in February 2024.
White was a native of Ottawa, Ontario, and graduated with degrees in communications and software engineering in 2019 from McMaster University.
She worked in surgical sales – primarily providing equipment to vascular and cardiac surgeons.
White – who had been dating Knapp, 31, since August 2023 – has passed away at the age of 28
Knapp and White went public with their relationship after his first PGA Tour win last year
Tributes were paid to White underneath the Instagram post confirming her death, which read: ‘Hi everyone – this is Makena’s friend, writing with the heaviest heart to share that Makena passed away earlier this week.
‘She is already so deeply missed by her Dad, her family, her friends, and of course by [her dogs] Nelly and Fergie.
‘Makena was one of a kind. She had this rare way of making you feel special, and her huge heart was always overflowing with love.’
The post continued: ‘To be loved by Makena was a gift; one that came with endless laughter, so much joy, and a healthy sprinkling of chaos as we tried to keep up with her travel schedule. If you would like to honour Makena’s memory, donations to the Bruyère Brain Health & Memory Clinic or the Griffin Bell Endowment Fund would mean a lot.’
CBS Sports course reporter Amanda Balionis was one of many who paid their respects, saying: ‘Getting to know Makena was one of my favorite parts of this last year. So much laughter, passion and she never met a stranger. I will miss her light… it touched so many.’
‘What a light she was,’ golf writer and podcaster Dan Rapoport wrote.
The American golf star has been left devastated by the sudden loss of his partner this week
White branded him her ‘sweet boy’ in a heartbreaking final post on Instagram last month
As the golf world comes to terms with her tragic death, a number of fans were quick to pull up an emotional message she recently wrote for Knapp.
In an Instagram post last month, she told her boyfriend: ‘Year 2 of first fairway hugs & watching you live out your dreams.
‘Second season in the books – forever grateful to be on this walk with you, here’s to many many many more! I looooove you sweet boy, you make it so dang easy to be proud’. In response, Knapp commented two ‘heart emojis’.
The post had some heartwarming pictures of the couple throughout the season – with the final one showing her lipstick marks on one of his course guides.
