The tragic death of Makena White, the girlfriend of PGA Tour winner Jake Knapp, was announced this week via Instagram.
“Hi everyone – this is Makena’s friend, writing with the heaviest heart to share that Makena passed away earlier this week,” the Instagram post read.
White was 28, and in the time leading up to her death, she began posting about her health on her online platforms.
Stating that Twitter gave her “crippling anxiety,” White stepped away from the platform temporarily, only to return.
In June, White tweeted that she had multiple surgeries planned for the summer as she spoke about the start of the RBC Canadian Open.
“2 cardiac & 1 vascualar surgery standing between me and watching my crush play in my home country! LTD!!!,” she wrote in the post.
White didn’t speak more about the surgeries, but posted later in the day about her high heart rate.
Posting an image with US Open Golf Championship information up on her laptop, and medical personnel in the background, White wrote “We’re dialled #GolfsLongestDay” then clarified in a followup post “(By dialled I mean tachycardic).”
The post showed White’s wrist monitor showing an elevated heart rate of 133 beats per minute. Tachycardia is a condition with a heart rate over 100 beats per minute, according to the Mayo Clinic.
White later posted on July 24 about using a handicap stall in a hospital washroom.
Knapp broke his silence on White’s death on Friday, sharing a statement with People that she was “a thoughtful person” with “selflessness toward others.”
“We shared so many unforgettable memories together and now that she’s no longer with us, it’s a tough reality to comprehend,” Knapp wrote. “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 began dating in August 2023, according to People.