Sam Burns

Will play in his fourth U.S. Open by qualifying for the season-ending Tour Championship and winning multiple PGA Tour events between the end of the 2021 U.S. Open and the start of this year's championship. Broke through for his first PGA Tour win in May 2021 at the Valspar Championship, edging Keegan Bradley by three strokes, and then successfully defended his title earlier this spring by edghing two-time U.S. Junior Amateur runner-up Davis Riley in a playoff. In late May, he rallied from seven strokes back to win the Charles Schwab Challenge in a playoff over world No. 1 and close friend Scottie Scheffler for his fourth PGA Tour title. Burns carded a final-round 65 and then holed a long putt from the fringe on the first playoff hole. The former Louisiana State University All-American registered his first professional victory at the 2018 Savannah (Ga.) Golf Championship on the Web.com Tour (now Korn Ferry Tour). He turned professional in 2017 after a stellar amateur career that included four victories, including the 2017 NCAA Baton Rouge Invitational. Represented the USA on the 2017 Palmer Cup Team and later that summer tied for sixth in the PGA Tour's Barbasol Championship as an amateur. He also represented his country in the 2014 Junior Ryder Cup.