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Burns wins Valspar Championship on 2nd playoff hole

PALM HARBOR, Fla. — Sam Burns celebrated another victory Sunday at the Valspar Championship, and it was nothing like he experienced a year ago.

Not even close.

He lowered his arms and forcefully shook his fists as raw emotion poured out of him on the 16th green, a reaction worthy under the circumstances. Burns capped off his back-to-back wins at Innisbrook with a birdie putt from just outside 30 feet to beat PGA Tour rookie and longtime friend Davis Riley on the second playoff hole.

“It felt like it looked,” Burns said with a wide smile, the trophy at his side from his third PGA Tour victory in the last year, a run that began with his first win a year ago at the Valspar Championship when he won by three shots.

“All through today, just trying to make sure that I never got too high or too low and just tried to stay even-keeled,” he said. “And to see that go in, I mean, that’s just what I felt.”

There was plenty to cause stress during a four-man chase along the back nine on the Copperhead course at Innisbrook.

Burns, who closed with a 2-under 69, had control until he had to make a 9-foot putt for bogey just to keep the lead. Riley, who steadied himself after a triple bogey on the par-5 fifth hole, hit 5-iron to 6 feet for birdie on the 17th to catch him.

Riley, who started the final round with a two-shot lead and closed with a 72, had a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th for a win. Burns was watching from a distance, hopeful only of a chance to play golf. The putt missed to the right, and two holes later Burns was a winner again.

He is the second straight back-to-back winner at Innisbrook following Paul Casey’s consecutive wins in 2018 and 2019. The tournament was canceled in 2020 because of the pandemic.

The victory moves Burns to No. 10 in the world for the first time, knocking Dustin Johnson out of the top 10 for the first time in seven years.

“Man, it’s crazy,” Burns said. “Davis played well today, especially the way he finished. I tried to stay steady. I didn’t make a lot of mistakes. A lot of time on Sunday if you plot your way around, make a bunch of pars, throw in a few birdies, a lot of times it works well. So happy.”

They finished at 17-under 267.

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