Sam Burns repeats at Valspar Championship

PALM HARBOR, Fla. – Sam Burns is starting to like the 16th hole at Innisbrook Resort.

The 463- yard par- 4 at the Copperhead Course is known as the start of the Snake Pit, a lethal three- hole stretch, and it was the site of Burns slithering in a 33- foot birdie putt on the second playoff to beat rookie Davis Riley and successfully defend his title at the Valspar Championship.

Burns posted a final- round 2- under 69 and matched his winning 72- hole total of a year ago at 17- under 267.

“A lot of times on Sunday if you can plot your way around, make a bunch of pars, throw in a few birdies here and there a lot of times it works well,” said Burns, expected to move to a career- best No. 10 in the world.

Burns followed up his opening- round 64 with a pair of 67s and trailed 54- hole leader Davis Riley by three strokes entering the final round. Riley, who grew up in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and Burns of Shreveport, Louisiana, are both 25 years old and longtime rivals dating to their junior golf days when Burns was ranked No. 1 and Riley second. Asked after the third round if they’d ever had any epic battles, Burns said, “I’m sure there’s been some somewhere. Can’t remember off the top of my head.”

One broke out on Sunday after Riley, who shot a bogey- free 9under 62 in the third round, ran into trouble at the fifth hole. He had gone 34 holes without a bogey until he made a triple bogey, the only one on any of the par- 5s all week. “I got punched in the mouth,” is how Riley described his debacle.

Having already won the Sanderson Farms Championship in October, Burns became the fourth multiple winner on the PGA Tour this season.