Last week, Sam Burns tied for sixth place at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
On paper, it looked like a solid result. But there is more to consider than just where he finished.
A top-10 finish should always be viewed positively. But it is hard to ignore how he closed out the tournament on Saturday.
The Louisiana native is one of the best putters on the PGA Tour, and that puts him in contention whenever he is near the top of a leaderboard.
While he is still young and has plenty of time to gain more experience, there is an argument that with his talent, he should have more wins by now.
Sam Burns’ decision on Pebble Beach’s 18th raises questions about his approach
Heading to the par-five 18th, Burns found himself two shots behind the clubhouse leader, Min Woo Lee.
But instead of taking an aggressive approach and aiming for eagle, he chose to play it safe by hitting an iron off the tee.
He ended up in a bunker to the right of the fairway and walked away with par.
The fact that Burns did not go all out for the eagle that would have given him a chance of winning at Pebble Beach raised some questions about his mindset. He may well have just been playing for prize money rather than the win.
That is not good enough when you are already a five-time PGA Tour winner who is expected to challenge in every event he plays.
Burns’ major record tells its own story, with just two top-10 finishes in 22 appearances and seven missed cuts.
His performance at the very biggest events reveals a genuine weakness, further underscored by how he concluded the tournament at Pebble Beach.
Johnson Wagner caught off guard by Sam Burns’ 18th hole decision
Burns has come under scrutiny for his decision to play it safe on the final hole at Pebble Beach, choosing not to use a driver.
Speaking with Golf on CBS, Johnson Wagner shared his perspective on Burns’ conservative approach.
“I had dropped back after following Scheffler. I had dropped back to the Burns and Fleetwood group,” he said.
“Fleetwood makes a great birdie on 17 and tees off first. He pulls three-wood and absolutely sends it just left of the tree, giving himself a chance.
“If you’re a left to right player with driver in those wins, it’s a very intimidating tee shot.
“He (Burns) had Driver teed up, he was going to hit it, the wind picked up from behind him, and you could see that he was uncomfortable.
“He goes over and talks to his caddie, Travis Perkins, and I’m just stunned.
“Like, Sam Burns is a top player in the world.
“I’m not gonna say it was a financial decision, but it sure felt that way.
“So you have a chance to make eagle and have a chance to win this golf tournament, and as soon as he pulled iron, that chance became zero,” Wagner concluded.
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