Sam Burns, a PGA Tour Rookie in 2019, started his 2019 season at the Fortinet Championship, in Napa, California. He, his wife Caroline, and Kramer Hickock, a fellow Tour Pro, were enjoying wine in the Silver Oak tasting room when they decided to each buy a double-magnum of the winery’s iconic cabernet sauvignon. Burns and Hickok agreed to save the wine and open it as soon as their first win in the major leagues.
Burns remembered that “every time I saw the bottle, I thought ‘gosh I really want to crack that'”.
Burns’ first victory was not achieved until the Valspar Championship in Tampa, Florida on April 20, 2021. Silver Oak celebrated his return home as soon as Burns won.
Burns smiled and said, “A group of friends helped us finish the job.”
Burns continues to win, including in the 2022 Charles Schwab Challenge. He erased a seven stroke deficit with a 65 on Sunday to force a play-off and then sank a 38 foot putt on the 1st extra hole to defeat his best friend, the World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler.
Scottie Scheffler congratulates Sam Burns after he won the 2022 Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images).
Burns’ rise to the top of the game was not surprising for those who followed him. Todd, his father, was the only one who did not recognize the raw potential of his son. He had to be persuaded by the father of another local golfer to believe that his son could compete outside their city’s limits.
Todd Burns, a reporter for the Shreveport Times, said that there was a local tournament in Shreveport. “We signed Sam up,” Burns said. “The father of Phillip Barbaree told me, after the tournament, that you should let Sam compete in national competitions. I replied, “Really?” I don’t believe he is ready for it. He said “Oh, he is ready for that.”
He was so ready that he went on to win the 2014 AJGA Rolex Players of the Year. This was a sign that he had a future as PGA Tour winner.
Brad Pullin is a PGA teaching pro and director of instruction at Squire Creek Country Club. He has been Burns’ swing coach since the early 1990s. Pullin’s first thought when he saw Burns swing was: “Don’t mess it up.”
Collin Morikawa competed against Burns when he was 12, 13, and regularly beat him up at the amateur and junior level. Burns was a Hogan Award semi-finalist in 2017, and he won the Jack Nicklaus Award for LSU.
Morikawa said, “He has always been a star.” Morikawa is a three-time Ben Hogan Award runner-up and the 2020 Charles Schwab Challenge second-place finisher. “He has always had a style of play that I knew would be on Tour for a very long time,” said Morikawa, a three-time Ben Hogan Award finalist and 2020 Charles Schwab Challenge runner-up.
Burns’ moxie was evident at the Honda Classic in 2018, when he was paired up with Tiger Woods for the final round. Burns replied, “Only in the video game.” When asked if Burns had ever played against his childhood idol, Burns said.
Burns said, “I can’t remember even feeling the club in my hand.” Burns spoke of his first tee-shot. “And then I became someone who had to beat him.”
Tiger Woods, Sam Burns, and Wilfredo Le/Associated Press walk off the tee at the fifth hole on Sunday, February 25, 2018 in Palm Beach Gardens.
Burns settled down quickly, and had the audacity to tell Woods, as they walked along the first fairway: “Man, all these people came out to see me today. Isn’t that crazy?”
Burns didn’t stop there. Burns beat Woods by shooting a bogey free 68, compared to Tiger’s score of 70.
Billy Horschel has been partnering with Burns since 2021 at the Zurich Classic. He believes that Burns was made for big moments. Burns and Horschel finished T-4 on their first outing as teammates in New Orleans. Burns was close to breaking the double magnum Silver Oak.
Horschel stated, “If this was an individual event, he would have won by five.” “I apologized. I said that I had not kept my end of the deal. I told him, “You’re playing great right now.” You’ll have a good chance of winning if you keep doing what you’ve been doing.
Burns has been winning ever since. In March, Burns won his fifth career PGA Tour championship at the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play Championship. He beat Scheffler in extra holes – this time in semifinals – before sweeping Cameron Young by a score 6 and 5 in the final. Burns is now one of six players to have won five times in the past three years. Burns is in good company when he’s mentioned with Scheffler and Patrick Cantlay.
Burns stated, “I believe that once you win you will start to believe it,” Burns.
Burns’s greatest victory was at Colonial Country Club. He had been to the tournament many times as a child. David Toms’ family accompanied him to Fort Worth, where they witnessed the final win of the 13-time PGA Tour champion at the 2011 Charles Schwab Challenge. Burns hasn’t yet forgotten leaning on the rope and craning the neck to watch Toms hole a wedge at the 11 thhole.
Burns stated, “That was pretty awesome to see.” As a 14-year old kid, watching any PGA Tour players, let alone a guy you knew, was a special moment.
Burns smiled as he walked to his victory last year and saw the wedge Toms had used for his hole out eagle, mounted on the wall. Burns continues to credit Toms for being a mentor who he relies on when he needs advice. In a strange coincidence, Toms also won the PGA Tour Champions on the same day that Burns won the Match Play tournament in Austin.
“I can remember watching him play golf as a child. The way he hit the ball is still one of my most memorable experiences. It’s amazing how straight he is and his tempo. Burns replied, “It is still,” he said. But, yes, it is pretty cool to win both games on the same day.
Burns has recently climbed into the world’s top 10. He is now focused on winning major championships, but it will be difficult to surpass his impressive Sunday at Colonial. Burns’ seven-stroke recovery matched Nick Price’s in 1994 as the largest in a final round at Hogan’s Alley.
Scheffler: “I joked at the end that he had ruined the fun by making a 40 footer.” It was great to see him winning. He is a fantastic player with a bright future.
Burns qualified for his second consecutive Tour Championship at Quail Hole Club in Charlotte. He also made his Presidents Cup debut. Burns and Scheffler will have to fight it out on the back nine again, and it would not surprise anyone if they needed extra holes to decide their score.
Horschel stated, “He is going to do some incredible things in this golf game.” “I have been a cheerleader with my pompons on the side trying to tell everyone what a great player he is, and to be careful of this guy.”
