We all know what a fantastic season Masters champion Scottie Scheffler has had in 2022. However, over the last 13 months, Sam Burns of Shreveport, Louisiana has done pretty good himself. On Sunday, Burns won his fourth tournament over that time as he won the 2022 Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas.
Interestingly, it was Burns and Scheffler who were head-to-head down the stretch. The two Americans were at -9 after 72 holes before Burns won on the first hole of the playoff. Burns recorded a birdie on the playoff hole, while Scheffler only came away with par.
In the fourth round on Sunday, Burns had seven birdies and two bogeys. He birdied the first, second, fourth, sixth, seventh, ninth, and 11th holes, and bogeyed the fifth and 12th holes. However, it is the birdie in the playoff that was the most significant. It was a 38-foot putt from the fringe that made Burns the Charles Schwab champion.
Four other American golfers were in contention. Brendon Todd finished alone in third place at -8. He was followed by Tony Finau, Davis Riley and Scott Stallings, who were tied for fourth place at -7.
Burns’s prior wins over the last year and month came at the 2021 Valspar Championship in Palm Harbor, Florida over 2011 PGA Championship winner Keegan Bradley, the 2021 Sanderson Farms Championship in Jackson, Mississippi, and the 2022 Valspar Championship. In Palm Harbor earlier this year, Burns beat Riley in a playoff after shooting a four-round score of -17. The win at the Charles Schwab was the first time Burns won the PGA Tour when he did not reach double digits under par.
