How Jason Kokrak’s putter switch paid dividends at the Charles Schwab Challenge

PALM HARBOR, Fla. – One week after beating Tiger Woods, Sam Burns returned to his alma mater and the life he left to ply his trade. Burns was in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to visit his former teammates, throw out the first pitch at an LSU baseball game and attend his girlfriend’s sorority formal. His final-round playing partner the previous week was a popular topic of conversation. Burns estimates he was asked about Woods some 40 times, though his body language and slight laugh seemed to imply that the inquiry came even more frequently. “I kind of miss it,� Burns said about college. However, he was playing golf last Friday in Louisiana while his friends were in class. “I don’t miss that part of it,� he joked. Burns, 21, would be a junior at LSU if he hadn’t decided to turn pro last year. Now he may be pro golf’s hot new prospect after going toe-to-toe with Tiger in the final round of The Honda Classic. Burns finished eighth after a bogey-free 68 that was two shots lower than Woods’ Sunday score. “I thought Sam would play great because Sam always thought this day would happen,� said his college coach, Chuck Winstead. “Deep down he sees himself as a great player and great players are eventually paired with great players. He has an inner belief that the best have that isn’t contingent on each round or each tournament.� Burns is back on the PGA TOUR this week after his brief return to campus. His T8 finish at The Honda Classic – which wasn’t even the best finish of his brief PGA TOUR career – earned him a start at the Valspar Championship. He also has a spot in next week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard. Woods approached Burns for a brief chat Tuesday at Innisbrook’s putting green. There was a box of new clothes awaiting Burns when he arrived at his locker after his practice session. He’s fitting in nicely on the PGA TOUR. The only question is how much more he’ll play here this season. Burns can use three more sponsor exemptions this season. This week doesn’t count against that limit, nor does his start at the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide. He earned that appearance by winning last year’s Jack Nicklaus Award as college golf’s top player. He’s hoping to use one of his remaining invitations on the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in his home state. He said former Memorial champion William McGirt is a prospective teammate. Burns also has Web.com Tour status this season after his 10th-place finish at Q-School. He ranks 13th on the money list after a runner-up finish in at the Club Colombia Championship. He plans on returning to the tour for the Chitimacha Louisiana Open presented by NACHER, but his time there could be limited if he continues his good play. Burns is 147 non-member FedExCup points from earning special temporary membership, which would allow him to accept unlimited sponsor exemptions for the remainder of the season. He could take care of that with a third-place finish this week. A solo fourth would leave him just 12 points short. “I honestly don’t know what that is,� Burns said Tuesday. “If I play well, that takes care of itself.� The Valspar is the same event where Jordan Spieth earned his first TOUR status in 2013. He became a special temporary member after a runner-up at the Puerto Rico Open and seventh-place finish at Innisbrook. He won the John Deere Classic later that year, qualified for the TOUR Championship and made the Presidents Cup team. Spieth and Woods are the only players to qualify for the TOUR Championship after starting the season without TOUR status. Burns may face long odds to replicate that feat, but he’s surged to the head of the class among this talented crop of rookie pros. This, despite being left off the 10-man U.S. team that competed at last year’s Walker Cup. Fellow LSU alum John Peterson used his Walker Cup omission as motivation, nearly winning the 2012 U.S. Open after being left off the previous year’s team. Burns is responding in similar fashion. “It’s probably something I think I’ll never get over as long as I live because when you’re 50 or 60 years old you want to tell your kids that you played in the Walker Cup,� Burns said. “I’ll never be able to do that, so I think that it will always leave a bad taste in my mouth.� He wasn’t picked for the team despite winning one of college golf’s player of the year awards and finishing T6 at the Barbasol Championship while still an amateur. He’s made the cut in three of four starts this season, adding a T20 at the Shriners Hospitals for Championship and T43 at the Sanderson Farms Championship. Burns has seen PGA TOUR players up close since his childhood. He’s longtime friends with Carter Toms, son of 13-time TOUR winner David Toms. Burns has tagged along on family vacations, where he also competed against players like Davis Love III. Burns texted Toms for advice on playing with Woods at PGA National. Toms told Burns to putt out first, when possible, so that the crowds wouldn’t be running while he was over his ball. Advice is worthless, though, if the recipient doesn’t have the game to compete. Burns birdied his first hole with Woods, knocking his approach shot to 3 feet, and was bogey-free in the Honda’s final round. “When he plays his game as good as anyone,� Toms said. “He always has that to fall back on.�

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1. 1996 Las Vegas Invitational 2. 1996 Walt Disney World/Oldsmobile Classic 3. 1997 Mercedes Championships 4. 1997 Masters 5. 1997 GTE Byron Nelson Golf Classic 6. 1997 Motorola Western Open 7. 1998 BellSouth Classic 8. 1999 Buick Invitational 9. 1999 Memorial Tournament 10. 1999 Motorola Western Open 11. 1999 PGA Championship 12. 1999 World Golf Championships-NEC Invitational 13. 1999 National Car Rental Golf Classic/Disney 14. 1999 THE TOUR Championship 15. 1999 World Golf Championships-American Express Championship 16. 2000 Mercedes Championships 17. 2000 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am 18. 2000 Bay Hill Invitational 19. 2000 Memorial Tournament 20. 2000 U.S. Open 21. 2000 British Open 22. 2000 PGA Championship 23. 2000 World Golf Championships-NEC Invitational 24. 2000 Bell Canadian Open 25. 2001 Bay Hill Invitational 26. 2001 THE PLAYERS Championship 27. 2001 Masters 28. 2001 Memorial Tournament 29. 2001 World Golf Championships-NEC Invitational 30. 2002 Bay Hill Invitational presented by Cooper Tires 31. 2002 Masters 32. 2002 U.S. Open 33. 2002 Buick Open 34. 2002 World Golf Championships-American Express Championship 35. 2003 Buick Invitational 36. 2003 World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship 37. 2003 Bay Hill Invitational presented by Cooper Tires 38. 2003 100th Western Open presented by Golf Digest 39. 2003 World Golf Championships-American Express Championship 40. 2004 World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship 41. 2005 Buick Invitational 42. 2005 Ford Championship at Doral 43. 2005 Masters 44. 2005 British Open 45. 2005 World Golf Championships-NEC Invitational 46. 2005 World Golf Championships-American Express Championship 47. 2006 Buick Invitational 48. 2006 Ford Championship at Doral 49. 2006 British Open 50. 2006 Buick Open 51. 2006 PGA Championship 52. 2006 World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational 53. 2006 Deutsche Bank Championship 54. 2006 World Golf Championships-American Express Championship 55. 2007 Buick Invitational 56. 2007 World Golf Championships-CA Championship 57. 2007 Wachovia Championship 58. 2007 World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational 59. 2007 PGA Championship 60. 2007 BMW Championship 61. 2007 THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola 62. 2008 Buick Invitational 63. 2008 World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship 64. 2008 Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard 65. 2008 U.S. Open 66. 2009 Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard 67. 2009 the Memorial Tournament 68. 2009 AT&T National 69. 2009 Buick Open 70. 2009 World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational 71. 2009 BMW Championship 72. 2012 Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard 73. 2012 Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance 74. 2012 AT&T National 75. 2013 Farmers Insurance Open 76. 2013 World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship 77. 2013 Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard 78. 2013 THE PLAYERS Championship 79. 2013 World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational 80. 2019 THE TOUR Championship 81: Masters Tournament

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Tiger Woods opened the third round of the TOUR Championship with six birdies in his first seven holes. He made the turn in 5-under 30 with his only blemish coming on No. 9 when his tee shot went long right. The birdie hot-streak included five straight from Nos. 3 – 7 to take a five-shot lead. Can he hold off Justin Rose, 2016 FedExCup champion Rory McIlroy and the rest of the top 30?

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