5 minute read

BURNS BABY BURNS

from GOLF NEWS APRIL 2023

from GOLF NEWS APRIL 2023, page 47

‘The Magnificent Seven’ James ...

like, you never want to be out of the hole in your pocket. I always want to try to have a chance, whether it’s making a long putt or chipping in or something like that. So I think really just fighting for every shot. You never know when you’re going to make a 40-footer and kind of flip it on someone. So that’s kind of it, really.

You’re currently no.10 in the world – among the game’s elite. Do you feel like you belong in that club?

I think, for me, I just try to put in the hard work, try to improve my game every day, every week, look at stats and see what areas I can get better at and then my team and I try to attack those areas. That’s all I can control. And so while it’s nice to see that those things are paying off in terms of my world ranking, the number gives me the knowledge that we’re working on the right things and provides the motivation to carry on trying to get better.

You played in the Presidents Cup last September and are long way to qualifying for the Ryder Cup. As a match play champion, how would you fancy being on the team being in Rome?

Arguably one of the least well-known players currently occupying a place in the world’s top-10, American Sam Burns has quietly gone about the business of winning five titles since joining the PGA Tour in 2018, with has latest coming at the WGC Match Play in Texas, where the 26-year-old from Louisiana showed the type of battling qualities that will surely serve him well when he makes an expected Ryder Cup debut for Team USA in September

You took down some big-name players to win the WGC Match Play in what was your first appearance in the event. How much confidence does it give you going forward to have beaten the likes of Rory McIlroy, Patrick Cantlay, Scottie Scheffler and, of course, Cameron Young in the final?

I didn’t really know what to expect coming into the week given that it was my first time playing in the event. I feel like I gained a little bit more confidence as each match played out. I knew it was going to be a tough match against Scottie [Scheffler] in the semi-final, but I got off to a great start and then got lost a little bit halfway through the round, before I was able to make a few birdies coming down the stretch and ultimately took it to extra holes. I feel like I carried that momentum into the final, and while Cameron didn’t have his best stuff, I was happy to get the job done.

It’s a mentally and physically exhausting week – seven matches over five days – but it definitely gives me confidence to know that under the gun, and when the pressure is really on, I have the game to get me through some tight spots. Match play often comes down to a missed putt here or a mistake there, it really is fine margins, so you have to concentrate 100% otherwise things can quickly slip away.

How come you hadn’t played in the WGC tournament before?

I haven’t played te event in the past because in 2021 and 2022 I had won Valspar Championship the week before and took some time off, and then the year before that I was battling a back injury and there was no way I could potentially play that many holes in a week.

You admitted that you haven’t played your best golf for the first half of this season, so how important was it for you to break the cycle with a win?

Yeah, it was huge. Professional golf is hard. It’s not easy at times, and I’ve been really struggling with my golf swing of late. I just didn’t quite have the control that I wanted, and I wasn’t able to hit some of the shots that I am usually able to. But I think the important thing to remember is that your game is never as far off as sometimes you feel that it is, so I think just continuing to do the hard work and continuing to stick to my process has been vital. I knew that at some point it would click and everything would come together, and thankfully that has happened sooner rather than later. I have a lot to thank my coach, Brad Pullin, for helping that to happen.

Do you adopt a different approach to match play than you do for stroke play?

No, not really. I think the most obvious thing is you don’t really want to give an opponent a hole. For me, what that kind of means is,

WHAT’S IN SAM’S BAG?

DRIVER Callaway

Paradym Triple Diamond (9°)

FAIRWAY WOOD

Callaway

Paradym Triple Diamond (16°)

HYBRID Callaway Apex

UW (21°)

IRONS

Callaway Apex

TCB (4-PW)

WEDGES Callaway Apex

TCB (52°), Jaws

Raw (56°, 60°)

PUTTER Odyssey

O-Works 7S

Black BALL

Chrome Soft X

Oh, it would be a dream come true. Being on the Presidents Cup team and having that experience was unbelievable. It’s such a fun experience being on a team with those guys, who are all worldclass players. It was incredible to be able to learn from them and have that experience with them. Unfortunately, I didn’t manage to win a match outright, but I had a couple of half points, so I’m keen to put that record straight. Hopefully I’ll get the chance in Rome.

You put Callaway’s new Paradym driver in the bag ahead of the Match Play. You must have had had a lot of confidence in how it would perform?

I had Callaway’s Rogue driver prior to that, which I really liked, and then the USGA tested the face in California last month and it failed by one point. I don’t really know what that means, as they don’t really give you a lot of information, so I had to find a new driver, and I put Callaway’s new Paradym driver in the bag a few weeks ago and have managed to build a lot of confidence with it. It played a huge part in my win at the Match Play.

As one of the longer drivers of the ball on tour, what is your view of the planned roll-back of golf balls for pros?

Personally, I think it’s pretty silly. If you look at the last few years, I think the game of golf has grown tremendously. At the end of the day, we’re an entertainment business and I don’t think people necessarily want to come out here and watch guys hit it shorter. They enjoy watching guys go out there and hit it 350 yards. I don’t see what the problem is with that. I think that’s a skill in itself and I don’t really agree with trying to take that away.