Hot Burns finally bags his first PGA title

PALM HARBOR: 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.

Burns got some help from Keegan Bradley hitting into the water on the 13th hole, and then the 24-yearold from Louisiana took it from there with two big birdies that led to a three-under 68 and a three-shot victory on Sunday.

Burns won for the first time on the PGA Tour after twice failing to convert 54-hole 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 US Open, along with his first trip to the US Masters next spring.

He had reason to believe this moment could have come sooner. Burns wasted a good start at the season-opening Safeway Open. He closed with a two-over 72 to tie for seventh in the Houston Open. He lost a two-shot lead at Riviera, coming up one shot short of a playoff.

Bradley and Burns were tied through 36 holes and 54 holes, and they stayed that way through 12 holes on another blistering day at the Copperhead course. That changed with one swing on Sunday.

Bradley came up well short on the par-three 13th and went into the water, leading to double bogey. Burns saved par with an eight-foot putt for a two-shot lead.

Burns followed with a wedge that stopped next to the hole for a tap-in birdie on the par-five 14th. He put Bradley away with a seven-iron to 18 feet for birdie.

Cameron Tringale was lurking but never seriously challenged. He shot 68 and shared third with Viktor Hovland, whose had a 65 but started too far back at the start of the day.

Max Homa briefly tied for the lead with a birdie on the par-five opening hole. He didn’t make another birdie the rest of the day, missing several chances around the turn and ending his hopes with a double bogey on the par-three 15th without hitting into the water. He shot 74.