Charles Schwab Challenge: Sam Burns stunned world No. 1, Scottie Scheffler, by sinking a 38-foot birdie putt on the opening playoff hole to win the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas.
Burns read the long double-breaker perfectly after putting from the first cut of rough on the par-4 18th hole at Colonial Country Club.
Scheffler couldn’t match it with a long birdie putt of his own, giving the 25-year-old an unlikely victory – his third on the PGA Tour this season – and moving him up to second in the FedEx Cup standings.
Burns overcame a seven-shot deficit at the opening of play – the biggest any player has overcome to win at the Texas site – and denied Scheffler a fifth triumph in his last ten outings.
“When you start the day seven back, I knew Scottie was at 11 under,” said Burns. “I mean, the way that guy is playing right now, who would have ever thought that you’d have a chance seven back?
“I just played such a good round of golf today and [caddie] Travis Perkins did a great job all day just keeping us in it. I’m proud of the way we finished, and then to make that putt is just icing on the cake.”
Burns finished on 271, nine under par, while Scheffler was one of five players tied for the lead at one point, with his opponent already in the clubhouse.
The world number one shot a two-over 72 with two bogeys and no birdies, his vital up-and-down from a greenside bunker at the 18th rescuing par and securing the play-off.
Brendon Todd, who was in the final pairing with Scheffler, carded a one-over 71 after bogeying the 10th and 11th holes.
After making three straight birdies, PGA Tour rookie Davis Riley had the outright lead at 11 under, but he lipped out a four-foot par putt at the 13th and dropped his next tee ball, resulting in a double-bogey six at the next.
Riley tied for fourth place at seven-under-par with Scott Stallings (72), while Kevin Na (69), Jordan Spieth (70), Mito Pereira (71), Cam Davis (72) and Patrick Reed (72) tied for seventh place at five-under-par.
Harold Varner III was tied for 10th place with Scheffler, Todd, Riley, and Stallings when his hopes were dashed by a back-nine collapse.
Varner made triple bogey on the 12th hole, missing putts inside four feet twice, and his tee ball on the next hole, the par-three 13th, ended up in the water.
He shot 78 and slipped to equal 27th at even par after finishing with two double bogeys and another triple bogey for a back-nine 45.
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