2021 Shriners Children’s Open: Top 10 power rankings at TPC Summerlin

Sam Burns was one of the breakout stars on the PGA Tour last season and is off to a hot start to 2021-22.

The 25-year-old won his second career tournament last week at the Sanderson Farms Championship. He fired 68-66-65-67 to reach 22-under for a one-shot victory, but one he had all but locked up heading to the 18th hole.

Despite ranking 57th in the field in strokes gained putting (-1.985 total), Burns got it done by carving up Country Club of Jackson. The former LSU Tiger was first in SG off the tee (6.162) and second in SG approach (8.278) to lead in SG tee to green (14.842).

Burns was one of the first men left off the U.S. Ryder Cup team. He showed why he may be representing the stars and stripes the next time around, and perhaps as soon as 2022 at the Presidents Cup.

“I think getting the call from Stricker on Monday and hearing the news that I didn’t make the team was definitely very motivating and definitely kind of gut wrenching,” Burns was quoted by ASAP Sports. “And, so, yeah, I think it’s definitely motivated me to try to be on the next team and continue to try to improve and hopefully be on it the next go.”

Burns will look to keep the momentum going at the Shriners Children’s Open, an event he’s frequented annually since 2017.

He’s made two cuts at TPC Summerlin, finishing T-20th (68-74-72-67) in 2017 and T-34th (67-66-68-70) last year.

In events with a cut, Burns has made the last five. In his last five total events, he’s finished top-21 or higher with a T-2nd result at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational.

It was unusual that Burns didn’t rely at least a little bit on the flat stick at the Sanderson because he ranked ninth on the PGA Tour last season in SG putting (.579). He was top-50 in the other SG stats except for around the green.