2022 AT&T Byron Nelson: Top 10 power rankings at TPC Craig Ranch

A lot of big names skipped out on last year’s AT&T Byron Nelson in its TPC Craig Ranch debut. Sam Burns didn’t. His course knowledge and stellar performance here last year will be a boost. This year’s field is filled with more star power, but many are learning the course for the first time.

In his first start coming off his first career PGA Tour win at the 2021 Valspar Championship, Burns nearly went back-to-back a couple weeks later. He fired 65-62-69-70 to finish in second place three shots behind K.H. Lee. Normally, 22-under will get it done on the PGA Tour.

Burns’ 62 on Friday was the low round of the tournament and one shot off the course record set outside of competition by Ryan Palmer.

Burns led the field for the week in strokes gained tee to green (11.826) and was top-10 in each SG category except for putting. The LSU alum found just four bunkers all week and was T-5th in greens in regulation (80.56%).

The 25-year-old comes into the week off of a couple weeks of rest following his near-miss at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Burns and Billy Horschel teamed up to fire 27-under in the two-man team event and finished in second place two shots behind Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele.

New Orleans was a nice bounceback for Burns.

He missed the cut as a dark horse favorite at the Masters his previous start.

Burns won his third career PGA Tour event, all in a 12-month span, when he defended his title in March at the Valspar Championship. He also won in the 2021-22 season at the Sanderson Farms Championship.

Mr. Burns ranks 11th on the PGA Tour in SG approach (.724) and in the top-80 in all SG categories.  He’s also seventh in birdie average (4.6) and 10th in par-5 scoring (4.47).

Scottie Scheffler has more than a 1,000-point lead on Burns in second place in the FedEx Cup. That’s a big hill to climb, but a win for Burns could nearly cut the deficit in half.