Inasmuch as I’ve been on the Scottie Scheffler bandwagon (Titleist Pro V1) this season – and I’m not about to jump off any time soon – I’m also starting to become a fan of Sam Burns (Callaway Chrome Soft X).
His win last week in the Charles Schwab Challenge, beating Scheffler in the first hole of the playoff with a 38-foot birdie, was his third of the season in 16 events. Scheffler has recorded four win in 17 starts, most notably the Masters. Scheffler is the favorite to win Player of the Year but Burns could make a statement that he should be in consideration for the award by winning a major.
There’s no reason to think he can’t do it.
He has been consistent this season, winning the Sanderson Farms Championship back in September and has two victories in his last six tournaments. That’s key because it proves he can hold his form when the top players start competing on a regular basis.
By the way, how cool was it seeing Burns and Scheffler, who are best friends, engaging in a friendly battle?
LIFE OF RILEY: I don’t know when it’s going to happen, but I believe some time this season or for certain next season, Davis Riley (Titleist Pro V1) will record his first PGA Tour victory.
The first-year player is showing all the signs that his maiden victory is near.
In 21 events in the 2021-22 season, he has made the cut 14 times, posted six top-10 finishes and eight in the top-25. His best finish has been second in the Valspar Championship. Since then, he’s made the cut six of seven times, and has been in the top-five three times, including tying for fourth in the Charles Schwab Challenge last week, and the top-10 four times.
HURRAY FOR SEMIH: Only one player last week in the PG Pool had Burns winning the Charles Schwab – Semih Dilek. He is Assistant Vice-President, Ecommerce and Marketing for LostGolfBalls.com. Gary Krueger, Chief Executive Officer of PG Professional Golf, which owns LostGolfBalls.com, is sitting in third, I’m in fifth, and Semih vaulted to seventh from 13th overall. Burns came from far back to win. Scheffler had a two-stroke lead over Brendon Todd after three rounds. Burns was seven behind. It just goes to prove anything can happen. Scheffler was -145 going in the final round, meaning you had to beat 145 dollars to win 100. To be honest, I’m not sure what the odds were on Burns, but it had to be huge. Players who were higher up than Burns starting the final round had odds of at least +4500, so if you bet $100 it had a return of $4,500. He was +3000 going into the tournament, so if you bet $100 to win on him in the final round the odds were significantly higher.
EXCITED ABOUT CANADIAN OPEN: It’s been two long years that the Canadian Open has been on hiatus because of COVID-19, but in a week’s time it will return.
As someone who lives in Canada and within about a 25-minute driving distance from this year’s venue at the St. George’s Golf and Country Club, I’m pumped. Scheffler is slated to play in the tournament. It was last won by Rory McIlroy (TaylorMade TP5), who is slated to be back in it.
