Wie beats Yin at Lorena Ochoa Match Play

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DUBLIN, Ohio – Three years ago, Sam Burns came to Muirfield Village to accept the Jack Nicklaus Award as the nation’s top NCAA Division I golfer from the man himself. His return visits haven’t been as fruitful, though. Burns finished dead last at the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide in 2018 and had to withdraw after shooting 81 the following year. RELATED: Full leaderboard | Morikawa builds on lead But the former LSU standout, who turned pro after his junior year, is trending up this week after a 66 on Friday left him at 9 under and four strokes off Collin Morikawa’s lead at the end of a muggy stop-and-start afternoon in the inaugural Workday Charity Open. Morikawa, who shot 5 under on his final nine holes, matched Burns’ 66 on Friday. Burns has known the leader, who played at Cal, since “way back in the day” and he looks forward to having a chance to do battle again this weekend. “He’s an incredible talent,” said the 23-year-old Burns, who is seven months older than Morikawa. “Great player, incredible guy. Really good friend, and so it’s great to see him playing well. I hope he continues to play well this weekend, and hopefully I can give him my best and see what that is.” Morikawa, whose impressive streak of 22 straight cuts made ended last week, will be seeking the second win of his young PGA TOUR career. Burns, on the other hand, is still looking for his breakthrough victory and has just one top-10 in this COVID-19 abbreviated season. Burns grew up in Shreveport, Louisiana, where he was also good friends with former PGA champion David Toms’ son Carter. The two played baseball together, then golf. Burns vacationed with family and the two buddies followed in Toms’ footsteps to LSU. Burns and his dad even drove to Fort Worth to see Toms win the 2011 Crowne Plaza Invitational the week after losing a heartbreaker in sudden death at THE PLAYERS Championship. He considers Toms a mentor and his advice invaluable. “You can’t put a price on that,” Burns told PGATOUR.COM last year. One of the bigger hitters on the PGA TOUR, Burns came to Muirfield Village ranked No. 13 in driving distance. He started on the back nine Friday and put that talent on full display at the par-5 11th with a 342-yard poke on the way to a 10-footer for birdie. Burns made two more birdies before he made the turn. But it was a flurry at the finish that enabled him to close the gap on Morikawa, starting with a 14-foot birdie putt at the par-5 seventh. Shortly after the ball snaked into the hole, the horn sounded to suspend play for the second time on Friday. Burns went inside the clubhouse and talked with friends, maintaining social distance, he was quick to point out, then came back and made birdie putts of 5 and 8 feet on the next two holes. “It’s a great way to end off a round, no matter if it’s after a rain delay or whenever it is,” Burns said. “Hopefully it’ll give me some momentum going into tomorrow, and we’ll see what happens.” Burns thinks his game is in better shape overall than it was in his previous starts at Muirfield Village. He credits the work he and his caddie Travis Perkins have been doing with the turnaround. “Travis and I have really focused on just trying to get better every day, whatever aspect of the game that is,” Burns said. “We’re just trying to find little ways to get better here and there. We’ll kind of go over the round today and see where we can improve on tomorrow.”

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WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – GN Media – an affiliate of Greg Norman Company (GN) – announced today that the PGA TOUR will join an expanding list of companies partnering with Shark Experience, where the TOUR will distribute its live programming to enhance the on-course experience. The PGA TOUR joins a robust list of industry leaders including Verizon and Club Car to deliver unprecedented connectivity, content and customization to the course through a connected golf car experience. As part of the new strategic partnership, the PGA TOUR will contribute live and on-demand coverage from more than 30 TOUR events via PGA TOUR LIVE, as well as all weekend telecasts produced by CBS and NBC Sports. Golfers in Shark Experience cars will be able to watch PGA TOUR events as soon as Shark Experience launches in the spring. “The PGA TOUR is leading the way in growing the game, so partnering with their organization on our innovative technology was a natural fit,� said Greg Norman. “We are aligning with the industry’s best and most innovative companies and are thrilled to have the TOUR on board to deliver the programming and content that golfers crave.� “The PGA TOUR is continually looking for avenues to grow the game and share our content,� said Rick Anderson, Chief Media Officer at the PGA TOUR. “Shark Experience is a perfect example of modernizing to move the game forward.� Leveraging Verizon’s leading 4G LTE network technology, the connected golf cars include a high-definition touchscreen display and built-in speakers with Bluetooth connectivity – all exclusive to Club Car golf cars. Golfers will enjoy live PGA TOUR coverage and curated content from Verizon, including streaming music via Slacker Radio, live sports and highlights, news and entertainment, Greg Norman golf tips, dynamic yardage information, and more. Shark Experience is currently in pilot and will preview at the 2018 PGA Show in Orlando at the Club Car booth #2928. The new technology will roll out at select golf courses across the U.S. throughout 2018. In addition to the curated content available at launch, features including hole-in-one technology, food and beverage ordering, Shot Tracer and more will become available as the platform continues to evolve. For more information, visit www.sharkexperience.com

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