Sam Burns pulls away at Innisbrook to claim his first PGA title
Eight times this season, Sam Burns has been atop the leaderboard after every round except the one that mattered. That changed, finally, at the Valspar Championship.
Burns got some help from Keegan Bradley hitting into the water on the 13th hole, and then the 24-year-old from Louisiana took it from there with two big birdies that led to a 3-under 68 and a three-shot victory Sunday.
Burns won for the first time on the PGA Tour after twice failing to convert 54-hole leads in the Houston Open last fall and the Genesis Invitational at Riviera in February.
The victory moves him into the top 50 in the world and all but assures a spot in the U.S. Open, along with his first trip to the Masters next spring.
Burns was wiping away tears when he tapped in for a meaningless bogey on the final hole, especially to see his wife, parents and other family members pour onto the green to celebrate the moment with him.
Angels outfielder Mike Trout, already a three-time MVP, concluded April with numbers that manager Joe Maddon says leave him in a ‘different galaxy.’
“I’ve worked so hard for this moment,” Burns said. “They’ve all sacrificed so much.”
He had reason to believe this moment could have come sooner. Burns wasted a good start at the season-opening Safeway Open. He closed with a 2-over 72 to tie for seventh in the Houston Open. He lost a two-shot lead at Riviera, coming up one shot short of a playoff.
“Those moments in the past, you really learn a lot,” Burns said. “This week coming down the stretch, I tried to stick to our process.”
Bradley and Burns were tied through 36 holes and 54 holes, and they stayed that way through 12 holes on another blistering day at the Copperhead course. That changed with one swing.
Bradley came up well short on the par-3 13th and went into the water, leading to double bogey. Burns saved par with an 8-foot putt for a two-shot lead.
Burns was three shots ahead through 13 holes on Saturday and he struggled to retain a share of the lead, so he knew what was possible. This time, though, Bradley had no chance.
Burns followed with a wedge that stopped next to the hole for a tap-in birdie on the par-5 14th. He put Bradley away with a 7-iron to 18 feet and a birdie putt that brought the most emotion he showed all day, a hard fist slam.
He had a four-shot lead with two holes to play, the water and worst hazards behind him.
Lakers star LeBron James returned after missing 20 games because of injury, giving the team exactly what it needs to win another NBA title, Bill Plaschke writes.
No one else had much of a chance.
Valencia High grad Max Homa briefly tied for the lead with a birdie on the par-5 opening hole. He didn’t make another birdie the rest of the day, missing several chances around the turn and ending his hopes with a double bogey on the par-3 15th without hitting into the water. He shot 74.
Cameron Tringale was lurking but never seriously challenged. He shot 68 and shared third with Viktor Hovland, whose had a 65 but started too far back at the start of the day.
Abraham Ancer (69) finished fifth.
Burns built a quick two-shot lead on the front nine Sunday. Bradley answered with a pair of birdies, and then made a 15-foot birdie putt from the fringe on No. 9 to take a one-shot lead to the back nine.
The final round started to take shape on the par-5 11th, both hitting wild tee shots and good escapes from the trees. Burns won the wedge contest, making a 15-footer for birdie, to tie for the lead. Bradley fell back with his double bogey and never caught up.
LPGA Tour
SINGAPORE — Hyo Joo Kim closed with an 8-under 64 and then watched from the clubhouse as Hannah Green bogeyed her final two holes to hand Kim a one-stroke victory in the HSBC Women’s World Championship.
Kim finished at 17-under 271 at Sentosa Golf Club. She watched as Green, the former Women’s PGA champion, took a one-shot lead to the 17th hole.
But the Australian three-putted for bogey to fall into a tie for the lead, and then she missed the green on the 18th and missed a par putt. Green shot 69.
Kim, the No. 9 player in the women’s world ranking, captured her fourth LPGA Tour title and her first in five years. She also won a major in 2014 at the Evian Championship. Kim did not play the LPGA Tour last year while riding out the COVID-19 pandemic at home in South Korea, though she won twice on the Korean LPGA.
ANA Inspiration winner Patty Tavatanakit closed with a 65 and tied for third with 54-hole leader Linx Xiyu and Inbee Park, who each had a 70.
Champions Tour
THE WOODLANDS, Texas — Former Masters champion Mike Weir won his first PGA Tour Champions event when he held steady with pars down the stretch for a 4-under 68 and let John Daly made the last mistake in the Insperity Invitational.
Weir and Daly were tied going down the stretch at The Woodlands, which was reduced to 36 holes because of heavy rain earlier in the week.
Daly, playing in the group ahead of Weir, was posing over his 9-iron over the water to the 18th green when it came up a fraction short and splashed next to the bulkhead. He made double bogey for a 69 and had to settle for being a runner-up.
Weir, who missed birdie chances inside 10 feet on the 16th and 17th holes, watched it all unfold and knew what he had to do. He fired his approach to about 15 feet behind the hole, and pumped his fist as he walked toward the green. He wound up winning by two shots.
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