WiretoWire: Sam Burns brought the drama to Valspar Championship
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PALM HARBOR, FLORIDA - MARCH 20: Sam Burns of the United States plays his shot from the first tee during the final round of the Valspar Championship on the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club on March 20, 2022 in Palm Harbor, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Written by Staff
Sam Burns wins in a playoff at Valspar
Four years ago, Sam Burns suffered his first PGA TOUR heartbreak at the Valspar Championship, making a final-round triple bogey at the par-4 16th hole at Innisbrook Resort’s Copperhead Course to fall from serious contention. He finished T12, failed to secure PGA TOUR Special Temporary Membership and returned to the Korn Ferry Tour. This year, as he returned to Copperhead as defending champion, Burns remarked that the triple bogey was perhaps one of the best things to happen in his career. A humble, hungry Burns returned to the Korn Ferry Tour, earned his TOUR card through the 2018 Regular Season, and began a steady ascent toward the game’s elite. This week’s Valspar Championship marked Burns’ first opportunity to attempt a TOUR title defense, and he delivered in emphatic fashion with a birdie from 33 feet on the second playoff hole, after Burns and Davis Riley matched 17-under totals in regulation play. Burns trailed Riley by three strokes to begin the final round outside Tampa, and the LSU alum needed just five holes to assume the lead, making birdie at the par-5 fifth hole to Riley’s triple bogey. Burns’ final-round, 2-under 69 was ultimately enough for a playoff spot, and after matching Riley’s par on the first extra hole, Burns delivered his winning moment on, of all holes, the par-4 16th. Not only does Burns exorcise any lingering demons, he moves to No. 2 on the season-long FedExCup standings – 500 Points accrued – and joins Patrick Cantlay as the only players to win three TOUR titles since the 2021 Valspar Championship.
TOUR HEADS TO AUSTIN, PLUS PARADISE FOR CORALES PUNTACANA
The PGA TOUR’s lone match-play event returns to Austin Country Club with a 64-player field ready to kick off two weeks in Texas. The World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play bracket will be filled out Monday as Billy Horschel prepares to defend his title. The field includes the five best golfers in the world with Jon Rahm, Collin Morikawa, Viktor Hovland, Patrick Cantlay, and last year’s runner-up Scottie Scheffler. Bryson DeChambeau is set to tee it up after being sidelined due to injury since late January. Another Pete Dye design plays host with two distinct nines to challenge the top players in the game. The front showcases Texas hill country, while the back nine plays in the lowlands beside Lake Austin, providing a scenic backdrop as matches reach their dramatic conclusion. The field will be divided into 16 four-player groups with the highest-ranked 16 players as the top seed. The remaining players will be picked randomly to fill out the bracket. The last man standing will receive 550 FedExCup points.
The Corales Puntacana Championship also takes place this week from the Domincan Republic’s Corales Golf Course. Each of the past winners at the Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship – including both from when the event was played on the Korn Ferry Tour – are back for another crack at the trophy in paradise. The event sees Joel Dahmen return to defend his breakthrough PGA TOUR title. Twins Rasmus and Nicolai Hojgaard tee it up together for the first time on TOUR, becoming the second set of twins to play a TOUR event. The winner will receive 300 FedExCup points.
VIDEO OF THE WEEK
MIC CHECK
“I’ll tell you what, if I was at home, I’d probably struggle even more. It’s nice to be out here with everyone, and I’ve had a lot of love from the guys.” - An emotional Jason Day reflected on the loss of his mother, Dening, and building back his golf-life balance.
BY THE NUMBERS
11 - The World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play bracket will be available to fill out after the groups are announced Monday at 11 a.m. CT. Add even more madness to your March and be sure to pick your winner here.
61 – Matthew NeSmith carded a 10-under 61 in the second round to tie the Copperhead course record at Innisbrook set 10 years ago by three-time major champion Padraig Harrington.
COMCAST BUSINESS TOUR TOP 10
The Comcast Business TOUR TOP 10 highlights and rewards the extraordinary level of play required to earn a spot in the TOP 10 at the conclusion of the FedExCup Regular Season as determined by the FedExCup standings. The competition recognizes and awards the most elite in golf.