PALM HARBOR, Fla. — PGA Tour golfer Sam Burns is a Louisiana native, but he feels right at home when he plays in Palm Harbor. Burns is the two-time reigning champion of the Valspar Championship. The 2021 crown was his first career win. He said that tournament didn't necessarily change his life as much as it changed his career path.
"I wasn’t in all the majors, so getting in all the majors, I think it gave me a lot of confidence moving forward," The 26-year-old said after Wednesday's practice round. "So that when I was in that situation in the future, I could kinda lean on this week, and I was able to grow a lot because of it."
15-time Tour winner Justin Thomas finished third at last year's Valspar Championship. He said he likes the course at Innisbrook, and he hopes to get on track this weekend. The 29-year-old only has one top 10 finish in seven events in 2023, and he admits he's a little frustrated.
"This game can make you feel one swing away from wanting to quit and one swing away from feeling like you’re going to win the Masters," Thomas joked while quoting fellow pro Max Homa. "That’s kind of where I’m at right now. My golf game obviously doesn’t feel great. I haven’t been playing really, really well. I feel like I’m close. I’m just trying to stay patient."
Thomas could take a lesson in patience from Tampa Bay Buccaneers legend Ronde Barber. Barber waited six years to get into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He's currently in his second year as the General Chairman of the Valspar Championship, and he admits he still has a lot to learn about the business side of another sport that he loves.
"I can honestly say I had no idea what went into putting on a PGA Tour golf event. Getting to know the ins and outs, the framework of what this takes, has been rewarding, actually," Barber said. "I’ve done a lot of charity work over the years here in Tampa. This is by far the biggest. We’re one to two million dollars a year in charity-giving to local charities, and that’s impossible to do elsewhere."
The Valspar Championship, nicknamed "The most colorful PGA Tour Tournament in the world," tees off Thursday, March 1,6 at 7:40 a.m.
