Burns captures first PGA title
Eight times this season, Sam Burns has been atop the leaderboard after every round except the one that mattered. That changed, finally, at the Valspar Championship at Palm Harbor, Fla.
Burns got some help from Keegan Bradley hitting into the water on the 13th hole, and then the 24year-old from Louisiana took it from there with two big birdies that led to a 3under 68 and a three-shot victory Sunday.
Burns won for the first time on the PGA Tour after twice failing to convert 54hole leads in the Houston Open last fall and the Genesis Invitational at Riviera in February.
The victory moves him into the top 50 in the world and all but assures a spot in the U.S. Open, along with his first trip to the Masters next spring.
Burns was wiping away tears when he tapped in for a meaningless bogey on the final hole, especially to see his wife, parents and other family members pour onto the green to celebrate the moment with him.
“I’ve worked so hard for this moment,” Burns said. “They’ve all sacrificed so much.”
Cameron Tringale was lurking but never seriously challenged. He shot 68 and shared third with Viktor Hovland.
Kim triumphs at Singapore
Hyo Joo Kim shot a finalround 8-under 64 and then watched from the comfort of the clubhouse as Hannah Green bogeyed her final two holes to hand Kim a one-stroke victory in the LPGA’s HSBC Women’s World Championship.
Kim finished with a 72hole total of 17-under 271. It was Kim’s fourth LPGA title, including a major at the 2014 Evian Championship, and her first LPGA Tour win in five years.
Green’s 69 left her in second. Three players were tied for third — Patty Tavatanakit shot 65 and Lin Xiyu and world No. 2 Inbee Park had 70s to finish two strokes behind.
Burmester takes Tenerife Open
Dean Burmester ended a four-year winless streak in style with a five-stroke victory at the Tenerife Open..
The South African closed with a bogey-free 9-under 62 that left him at 25 under for the tournament and secured his first victory since the Tshwane Open in 2017.
The 31-year-old Burmester said it had been “four years of struggle, of hard work.”
Germany’s Nicolai von Dellingshausen (68) was second.