Sam Burns being good friends with Scottie Scheffler must come with its downsides for the former, with regular practice rounds with the world number one likely to crush anyone’s confidence from time to time.
Scottie Scheffler has been, by far, the best golfer on the planet over the last three years. He has won two Masters titles in that time, while he clinched nine victories worldwide in 2024 – including an Olympic gold medal.
What has been particularly frightening about Scheffler’s game has been the consistency. The 28-year-old is not exactly someone who produces the kind of shots which steal the show. He just does not seem to make many mistakes at all across a tournament week.
And Sam Burns has had the best seat in the house for a lot of Scheffler’s success. The pair have been paired together in team events on a number of occasions, while they also practice together frequently.
The Korn Ferry Tour player who stunned Scottie Scheffler in a practice round
It actually turns out that Scheffler himself would say that Burns has the edge when they play in the days before a tournament.
But speaking to Subpar about Scheffler’s admission, Burns suggested that the most impressive round he has seen in practice came from a player who now finds himself on the Korn Ferry Tour.
“It’s funny, but then every time we go out and play, [Scheffler] shoots five under, and I’m like I don’t understand. I would say if we play 10 times on Tuesdays, we probably split. We played in Phoenix and we played at Pebble maybe, and I lost at Pebble and tied in Phoenix,” he said.
“I’ll tell you what, Scottie and I played with Cameron Champ one year, Caves Valley on Tuesday, and I think I was five under through seven, one down, and he closed Scottie out on number six. He either shot eight or nine under, it was the most insane thing I’ve ever seen. There’s not a golf course that really fits him better than that.”
The remarkable record Cameron Champ had on the PGA Tour last year
Champ lost his PGA Tour card last season after finishing 175th in the FedEx Cup Fall. His best result of the year came at the 3M Open as he finished tied for 12th. He actually missed 18 cuts in 26 events.
What was remarkable was that Champ actually finished first on tour for strokes gained off the tee. He was also first for driving distance at 322.8 yards, according to the PGA Tour website.
He has begun his year on the second tier with one top 20 finish in his first five appearances on the Korn Ferry Tour, making three cuts.
Clearly, the three-time PGA Tour winner is working through some things in his game right now. But given the distance the 29-year-old can send the ball off the tee, he has always got a chance to find his way back onto golf’s top table.
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