MEMPHIS – Sam Burns made the turn, and turned around his day Thursday in the opening round of the PGA Tour playoffs.
Burns was four over through the front nine Thursday morning at TPC Southwind in the FedEx St. Jude Championship. He birdied Nos. 10 and 11, starting a surge of five birdies on the back that brought him back to even par 70 and left him tied for 39th in the 70-player field heading into the second round today.
The former LSU All-American attacked the flag for his first four birdies, sinking putts of 5, 4, 7 (on No. 14) and 8 feet (No. 16), then drained a 27-footer on 18 to get back to even par.
He is one shot out of 27th and two shots out of 20th starting today’s round. Burns, a Shreveport native and Choudrant resident, tees off at 11:50 paired with Justin Rose, who shot 6-under 64 Thursday and is tied for third.
Akshay Batia carded 8-under 62 for the Round 1 lead. Tommy Fleetwood was second, one shot back.
TV coverage today is on Golf Channel starting at 1 o’clock. Golf Channel and NBC will combine on the final two rounds.
Burns, 28, tied for fifth last year in Memphis, starting a playoff push that earned him a captain’s pick on the United States Presidents Cup team. He is 16th in the USA Ryder Cup standings, bidding to be one of captain Keegan Bradley’s six at-large picks after the playoffs finish three weeks from now.