Sam Burns during the pro-am ahead of the 2024 Travelers Championship | Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images
Sam Burns talked about the state of his game and discussed what amateur players should focus on when putting.
CROMWELL, Conn. — Fresh off a solid performance at the U.S. Open, Sam Burns arrives at the Travelers Championship feeling strong about his game, as it is trending in the right direction.
Burns opened the RBC Canadian Open with a 7-under 63 and ultimately tied for 10th. He then tied for 15th at the Memorial, as a 3-over 75 during the second round kept him from threatening Scheffler and others towards the top of the leaderboard. Then, last week at Pinehurst No. 2, Burns closed with a final round 3-under 67, which gave him a back-door top-10 finish.
Yet, the former LSU Tiger did not have that consistency in the weeks prior. Burns missed the cut at both the Masters and the PGA Championship and did not have his best stuff at Harbour Town. But during that stretch, he and his wife Caroline welcomed a baby boy named Bear on April 22—the same day Scottie Scheffler won the RBC Heritage, which ended with a Monday finish.
His now 8-week-old has kept him busy, and being a new father is never easy. Yet, his son has given him a boost of momentum over the past three weeks.
Now he is back in New England for his fourth tournament in a row, hoping to secure his first PGA Tour title since the 2023 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.
Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images
Sam Burns at the 2023 U.S. Open.
SB Nation caught up with Burns to talk about his life and his game ahead of this week’s Travelers Championship—the final Signature Event of the season.
One-on-one with Ryder Cup star Sam Burns:
(Editor’s Note: This conversation has been lightly edited and modified for readability and clarity.)
Playing Through: First question for you: how is your son Bear doing?
Sam Burns: He is great; it’s gone by quickly. He is eight weeks old already, but it’s been nice having him out on the road during the last couple of weeks. They’re here again this week, so it’s been really fun.
PT: Nice! That’s great to hear. You and Scottie Scheffler are obviously really good friends, and you have a similar timeline with your children, too.
Burns: Yeah, we’re actually staying in a house together this week. Did so last week at Pinehurst, and then we got home one day after a round last week, and we’re sitting there holding the babies, and we looked at each other and said, “Wow, life has really changed quickly.”
PT: Being on the road as much as you are, how tough is it to be a new father and still try to compete at the highest level?
Burns: I think when you get out here and get to the golf course, it’s truly like any other job. You are focused on what you are trying to do. You obviously miss being at home with them, but at the end of the day, I have a job to do this week. Been coming out here last few days and just prepare the best I can, then when I get home, its time to change diapers and hold the little one. It’s a little bit different than what I used to do, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.
PT: What’s the state of your game right now? You played well at the U.S. Open, how are you feeling?
Burns: Yeah, it was nice to play well there on Sunday. I had been playing well there all week, but anytime you can go bogey-free at a U.S. Open is always a nice thing. My game is feeling better. I’ve played well the last three weeks, and I am excited to tee it up this week.
PT: What clicked for you during that final round 3-under 67?
Burns: I putted well. As the golf course continued to get tougher, I think it was important to figure out where you could leave it around the greens. That was the key thing for us, especially on Sunday. It was difficult to get the ball on the greens, so where you ended up and dealing with what you had in front of you was really important. And we were able to do a really good job of that and manage that.
PT: Did you get a chance to watch the crazy finish?
Burns: By the time I got home, I probably saw the last four holes. Yeah, it was pretty wild to see. Excited for Bryson. He obviously played really well all week. But also tough for Rory. For Rory to finish that way, as a competitor and as a player, you don’t wish that upon anybody. But I know he obviously took it pretty tough—as he should of. But he will bounce back.
Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Sam Burns putts on the 1st green during the third round of the 2024 U.S. Open.
PT: Speaking of Rory McIlroy, he announced that he will next play at the Genesis Scottish Open. Are you going to play before that somewhere?
Burns: No, I’m actually going to take three weeks off after the Travelers, which will be great. (Burns will next play at The Open at Royal Troon, which begins Jul. 18.)
PT: This golf course, at least from my understanding, is a ball-strikers course. You have to be precise. It’s not a bomber’s course, and you must have your short game. So what do you make of TPC River Highlands?
Burns: I think with a couple of the changes that they made—the first time I saw them was on Tuesday—so I think the changes were good. They made the holes better. On 12, they took away being able to hit to the bottom of the fairway, which puts the bunkers more in play. Yeah I think the changes they made were good changes. They made the green on 11 a little bit smaller. So yeah you have to be precise with your irons. You also have to drive it well to set yourself up, but it’s all about getting good looks on the greens.
PT: Commissioner Jay Monahan announced that the Travelers Championship will be another Signature Event in 2025.
Burns: Awesome!
PT: From what we have heard from players, this is one of the favorite stops on tour, correct?
Burns: For sure. I love coming up here every year. Last year, I unfortunately had to miss it for a buddy’s wedding. But I always love coming up here. The fans are incredible, the community supports this event like no other. I also love going to eat some pizza at Sally’s in New Haven. We went there last night, it was awesome. But yes, this is always one of my favorites to come to.
PT: And then the Ryder Cup last year, how cool of an experience was that?
Burns: It was incredible. I wish the result would have been different, but an incredible experience. Going to play in Italy was extremely fun.
Photo by Darren Carroll/PGA of America via Getty Images
Sam Burns squared off against Rory McIlroy in Sunday Singles at the 2023 Ryder Cup.
PT: Is there a lesson or takeaway from Marco Simone that you had and have applied to this year?
Burns: A little bit. I think playing over there is a lot different. I played a President’s Cup in the U.S., but that was a lot different—especially with how it feels. Over there, you expect everyone to root against you and that’s exactly what we felt. But it was really fun.
PT: You are such a great putter. Do you have any advice for amateur players on the putting greens?
Burns: A lot of times, from what I see with amateurs and putting, you know, in the Pro-Ams, they are always asking me to read putts for them and give them a line. But I am thinking, ‘You know I have seen you hit the last three putts, if I read this putt for you, it’s not going to help because you are either going to hit six feet short or six feet long.’ So the biggest thing is the speed. You see a lot of amateurs three and four-putt, mostly due to speed control. I think if you can take even five or 10 minutes before your round or after your round, and spend time hitting 20 footers, that will help. You want to try and get to within that three-foot circle. The make percentage from 20 feet is already pretty low. You see, guys try to make these 20-footers, and they ram it 10 feet past the hole, and they have a slippery putt coming back. You may get lucky one time, but you are losing strokes more often than not. When you hit it that hard, the hole becomes that much smaller, too. So speed control is big and amateurs should focus on that more than anything.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.
