By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
Sam Burns did enough for his second straight top 10 finish in the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup playoffs, closing with a 4-under 66 Sunday to tie for seventh at the final event, the Tour Championship in Atlanta.
All four rounds this week – and his last 10 rounds in the three playoff tournaments – have been 68 or lower. He went 67-66-68-66 this weekend at the iconic 7,440-yard, par-70 East Lake Country Club layout.
Coupled with a fourth-place tie at the BMW Championship a week earlier, adding Sunday’s $1.121,667 check to the $910,000 he netted in Baltimore, the last two paydays combining for $2 million have boosted his 2025 official PGA Tour winnings to $6.6 million – the fourth straight season the Choudrant resident and Shreveport native has topped the $6 million mark.
But was it enough for Burns’ top goal this season – a spot on the 12-man USA team for next month’s Ryder Cup?
He’s hoping to hear good news in the next day or two privately from captain Keegan Bradley, who will make six at-large picks to go with the six automatic qualifiers already established after the BMW. Burns is speculated to be one of eight contenders – including Bradley, who finished tied with Burns and Justin Thomas Sunday, and would be the first playing captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963.
The final six will be announced on Golf Channel in a 9 o’clock CDT show Wednesday morning from PGA headquarters in Plano, Texas.
“Yeah, it’s huge. I think definitely my No. 1 goal coming into this year,” said Burns after finishing his Sunday round with an 8-foot birdie putt on the final hole. “Unfortunately, I didn’t put myself in a position to be an automatic qualifier. I think it takes a lot of stress off certainly this week and last week to be in that position. But you know what, I tried to focus on coming into the playoffs and trying to play some solid golf, and hopefully it’s enough.”
He was eager to get home to Lincoln Parish, where he plays out of Squire Creek Country Club.
“It’s going to be a long 24 hours or 48 hours, whatever it is. But it’ll be nice to go home. I’m definitely looking forward to being home and spending some time with (wife) Caroline and (15-month-old son) Bear and just relaxing and resting. It’s been a long three weeks, and I’m really looking forward to that.”
Burns has a trusting, matter-of-fact attitude about his hopes to make a fourth straight USA international roster, and a second straight Ryder Cup team (playing in the 2022 and 2024 Presidents Cup competitions, and the 2023 Ryder Cup in Italy).
“(I have) 100 percent trust in Keegan. I know whatever decision he makes is going to be one that he thinks is best for the team,” he said. “Ultimately I’m Team USA. If I’m on the team, awesome. I would love nothing more. If I’m not, I’ll be rooting for them.”
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Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com
