2023 WGC-Dell Match Play: Top 10 Power Rankings at Austin CC

Sam Burns’ game is trending back up. After a couple missed cuts ending the West Coast swing and beginning the Florida swing, he got back in the groove with T-35th at the Players Championship and solo sixth in his quest for a three-peat at the Valspar Championship.

Now, Burns comes to the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play for the first time.

He was eligible to play last year but withdrew before the event due to injury.

A good sign for match play is Burns played well at the Presidents Cup despite an 0-3-2 record. It wasn’t match play, but he’s good in different formats.

Burns and Billy Horschel took second place at the 2022 Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

I like him to win the group he heads as the No. 13 seed.

No. 30 Seamus Power could be tough as he’s fifth in the FedEx Cup and made last year’s quarterfinals.

I see Burns winning close in that one. I think he’ll handle No. 33 Adam Scott, who lacks a top-10 on the PGA Tour since August.

Another win against Adam Hadwin, who last qualified for this event in 2018, moves Burns on to the round of 16.

Burns is ninth on the PGA Tour in strokes gained putting per round (.719) and 21st in birdie average (4.24).

There, I like him to meet up with No. 5 Max Homa in the quarterfinals. I could see Burns beating a lot of other guys in this spot, but Homa is red-hot lately.