Sam Burns celebrates after winning at Innisbrook Resort

Palm Harbor, Florida - Sam Burns has had his share of chances in his

young career to close the deal (half a dozen times he's held the lead

in a PGA Tour event and twice he's held the 54 hole pole position this

season), those failures paved the way for the final round Sunday on

the Copperhead at Innisbrook - he fired a final round 68 to win the

Valspar Championship by 3 strokes over Keegan Bradley.

"I always felt that you had to play perfect golf to win,'' Burns said.

"I always felt that you had to play your absolute best on a Sunday to

win. And after those experiences, I realized that it's not the case. I

was trying to do too much.''

Tied with Burns, Keegan Bradley's hopes for victory ended when he

made double-bogey on the par 3 thirteenth after hitting his 8-iron into

the water.

Burns enjoyed the walk up the final hole with a four shot lead, he had

closed the deal. "I've worked so hard for this moment,'' Burns said.

"They've all sacrificed so much.''

The win assured Burns of his spot in the U.S Open at Torrey Pines

and moves him to 44th in the OWGR.

Scores:

https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2021/valspar-championship/leaderboard.html

Marc Leishman and Cam Smith celebrate their victory at TPC Louisiana

Avondale, Louisiana - Marc Leishman and Cam Smith overcame a near

disaster on the 16th hole Sunday when Smith sank a seven-foot par putt

on the first playoff hole to defeat Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel

to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans at TPC Louisiana.

On the first extra hole, Oosthuizen, hit his tee shot into the water and the

South African duo finished with a double-bogey. “As soon as Louie hit his

drive into the water, we were always going to lay up (on the par-5 hole),”

said Smith, who claimed his third PGA Tour victory, all in playoffs.

“It was nice to hit three good shots to get the win. “It was a pretty cool

week and we really played some good golf. It was really tough coming in

on the back nine, but we hung in there and got it done.” Leishman and

Smith posted a 2-under-par 70 in the alternate-shot format of the final

round, while 54-hole leaders Schwartzel and Oosthuizen posted 71 (both

both teams finished at 20-under 268).

Oosthuizen’s wayward drive to open the playoff was pivotal, but another

came when Smith hit is drive on the 302-yard 16th hole into the water

left of the green. Leishman took a drop on the fringe left of the hole and

holed the chip for a birdie to win the hole and square the match, before

both teams finished with a bogey on the 71st hole and a par on the last

to finish regulation play. “I wasn’t walking up there thinking I wanted to

jab him in the ribs or anything, I was just concentrating on the next shot,”

said Leishman. “I was lucky to take my drop on an upslope for the next

shot. I was trying to make it and I did. It was fun doing that. “Cam didn’t

hit a bad shot there. In fact it might sound silly, but he hit a really good

shot and it just got caught on the wind. “ … It’s not often you can celebrate

winning with a friend and fellow player. It’s a special win.”

Scores:

https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2021/zurich-classic-of-new-orleans/leaderboard.html

Stewart Cink celebrates after winning at Harbour Town

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — Stewart Cink won his third RBC Heritage title

on Sunday at the age of 47. In this edition, he was victorious with his family

there to experience his walk down the final fairway along Calibogue Sound.

Cink had son Reagan on the bag for the four-shot victory at Harbour Town

Golf Links. Stewart's wife Lisa, and their oldest son Connor (along with his

were on hand to experience Cink’s second win this season (he also won in

Napa, California during the beginning of the fall wraparound season).

“To have a posse like that waiting at the end to celebrate with,” Cink said,

“it’s just an experience you don’t get to have in your life that often.”

His steady 1 under-par 70 final round kept the drama to a minimum. At 47,

Cink has found a resurgence of his career, just as most players are looking

ahead to the senior circuit. He finished tied for 12th last week at Augusta.

“I don’t even know if I have the words,” Cink said.

Emiliano Grillo and Harold Varner III finished tied for second, Grillo shot a

68 while Varner fired a 66 for his best finish on tour.

Scores: https://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html