Sam Burns

Burns was able to better what was a very impressive season in 2020-21 with a three-win performance in 2021-22. Burns got his first win early at the Sanderson Farms Championship and then was able to repeat at the Valspar Championship in a playoff. The 26-year-old picked up his final win at Colonial in which he outlasted the No.1 ranked player in the OWGR, Scottie Scheffler, in a playoff. Burns tailed off a bit down the stretch, but his combonation of distance and putting will make him a consistent threat for years to come. The next step for this player will be to raise his level of play at the majors.

Burns didn't enter the PGA Tour with much hype in 2019, but entering 2020-21, there was a feeling that he was about to break through. That break through occurred at the Valspar Championship in May where he picked up his first PGA Tour win. Not one to rest on his laurels, Burns posted a runner-up in his next start on tour. His pace slowed a bit after that, but he managed to find another runner-up at the St. Jude in August. In all, it was an incredible year for Burns, one that he's unlikely to duplicate this year however. Burns should continue to get better, but his number is just too high for salary cap purposes this season.

Burns' second season on Tour came with mediocre results: 103rd in FedEx Cup points, 11-out-of-19 cuts made and three top-20 finishes. At only 24, it's likely we have yet to see the best of Burns, who won the Jack Nicklaus Award at the best collegiate golfer in 2017. Burns ranked inside the top 10 in driving distance and top-20 in SG: Off-the-tee last season, but has been held back by his chipping game where he's failed to crack the top 175 in either year on Tour. An improvement there could pay off big in 2020-21.

Burns had a solid, yet not quite spectacular rookie season on the PGA Tour this past year. He earned over $1 million, carded six top-10s and most importantly, secured his card for the upcoming season. His best finish came in the fall however and while he did post six top-10s, he was more of a hit or miss type of guy last season. There could be something there, but it's too early too tell. It's probably best to pass on Burns this season in salary cap formats.

The LSU product was named a first-team All-American and recipient of the Jack Nicklaus Player of the Year award as the NCAA's top golfer during the 2016-17 season. He not only won on the Web.com Tour as a rookie in 2018, but also appeared in 11 PGA Tour events including a top-10 at the Honda Classic. Burns led the Web.com Tour in both birdie average and putting average, so he'll be a candidate to make some noise with a full schedule at the next level.