Another week, another seven-stroke deficit erased, as Sam Burns came out of nowhere to grab victory at the 2022 Charles Schwab Challenge. Firing a final round of 5-under 65 on a day when the scoring average at Colonial was nearly 3 over, the Louisiana native catapulted himself up the leaderboard and into a playoff with his good friend, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler.
Punctuated by a dramatic birdie on the first playoff hole, Burns not only captured a tartan jacket and a custom ’79 Firebird, but most importantly, his third victory of the season. For much of the day – heck, for much of the tournament – it was almost assumed Scheffler would gather his fifth victory in the last four months.
Unfortunately, the world No. 1 was unable to garner any momentum and ultimately signed for a 2-over 72. Scheffler was lackadaisical at times — missing fairways, misjudging the wind and generally looking uncomfortable on the greens — but he still resisted the urge to give in. Ultimately, his poor play combined with the difficult conditions proved to be too much, as Burns pulled the rug right from underneath him.
Burns’ triumph at the Charles Schwab Challenge marks his fourth in his last 28 starts. Securely inside the top 10 in the Official World Golf Rankings, it is about time we stop treating Burns as an up-and-comer and rather a star who is here to stay.