Burns made a birdie from just over 30ft on the 16th hole to defeat Davis Riley on the second playoff. This gave him three PGA Tour wins in his 22 previous starts.
Burns closed the tournament with a 2-under-69 to match Riley at 17 under 267. This is Burns’ second consecutive back-to-back win at Innisbrook after Paul Casey’s wins in 2018 & 2019. Due to the pandemic, the tournament was cancelled in 2020.
Burns is now No. The world’s No. 10 ranking was achieved for the first-time, knocking Dustin Johnson from the top 10. Burns was victorious last year by three shots.
Riley, a rookie competing on the PGA Tour for the first-time, overcome a triple bogey at the par-5 fifth green and a clutch 5-iron to make birdie at the par-3 17th. For the win, he had a 15-foot birdie shot on the 18th. He left it out to his right and closed with a 72.
Both pars were made on the 18th, with Riley saving par from the front bunker. Both were in a good birdie position on 16th, but Burns’ putt caught left edge of cup and went 180° around it before landing in the back. Riley missed a great pitch and had to hole it in order to extend the playoff.
Justin Thomas (70), and Matthew NeSmith (71) were eliminated from the playoff.
EUROPEAN TOUR/SUNSHINE TOUR
JOHANNESBURG (South Africa) — Shaun Norris, South Africa’s golfer, lost a lead of four shots in the final round. However, he rallied at the finish to win with a 2-under 70. He defeated Dean Burmester in Steyn City Championship to claim his first European Tour title.
Burmester took the lead with a par-5 sixth, then an eagle at the par-4 seventh. He extended his lead to two shots on the 10th with a birdie.
Norris responded with three birdies on the six next holes. They were tied at the 17th. Norris added a fourth birdie to his back nine, as Burmester made double bogey. The three-shot swing gave Norris breathing room going into the last.
Norris was 25-under 263 in his 10th global title.
Burmester finished the year with a record 69.
The Sunshine Tour also sanctioned the tournament.
KORN FERRY TOUR
BROUSSARD, La. (AP) — Carl Yuan from China won the Chitimacha Louisiana Open to win his first Korn Ferry Tour title. He defeated Peter Uihlein by scoring a birdie at the first hole in a playoff.
Yuan finished with a 6-under 65, matching Uihlein’s 14-under 276 at Le Triomphe Golf and Country Club. Uihlein shot a 70.
Jose de Jesus Rodriguez (68), and Trevor Werbylo (71) were the stroke back.
OTHER TOURS
Georgia Hall, a former Women’s British Open champion, closed the tournament with a 1-under-71 to win the Ladies European Tour’s Aramco Saudi Ladies International by five shots. Kristyna Napoleaova from Czech Republic and Johanna Gustavsson shot 70 to tie for second. … Harrison Crowe (20-year-old Australian amateur) shot a 4-under 67 to hold on for a one shot victory over Blake Windred at the New South Wales Open of the PGA Tour of Australasia.
