Is a Tyler resident leading the PGA Byron Nelson?

Published 3:02 pm Saturday, May 15, 2021

As the prestigious AT&T Byron Nelson PGA golf tournament started day three of four in McKinney on Saturday, the announcers on CBS television said “leader Sam Burns of Tyler, Texas” was the leader and teeing off.

You could hear the course announcer as well tell the crowd that Tyler’s Sam Burns was ready to start his round.

Burns, 24, is a Shreveport, Louisiana native and shot a 62 at TPC Craig Ranch on Friday to take the lead heading into today.

Long-time Tyler Morning Telegraph Sports Editor Phil Hicks said he heard it as well on the Golf Channel and started calling the area golf professionals.

Hicks is usually covering professional, amateur and high school tournaments on weekends at the area courses and knows all the top golfers. He was surprised he had not heard Sam Burns was from Tyler.

In March, Burns won the PGA Valspar Championship and was the youngest winner since Jordan Spieth in 2015.

Hicks thought maybe he had played a tournament in Tyler, or maybe he just moved to Tyler.

The Tyler Morning Telegraph made some contact with media at the event, and PGA media officials think it may have been an error. The “Sam Burns” page in the media guide and on the PGA site says he lives in Tyler with his wife, Caroline. His father does own Express Car Wash in Tyler and his sister did live in the Rose City.

He has $5.4 million in career earnings and the purse for the AT&T Byron Nelson is $8.1 million with the winner taking home $1.458 million.

In an interview with Tim Schmitt, managing editor for Golfweek/USA Today, Burns said of Friday’s round, “Everything out there felt great. I just feel like we got into a good rhythm throughout the round. I made a run right there on the back nine, and so it was nice to be able to finish it off with two birdies at the end. A good way to end the day. Just trying to get a good game plan out here for tomorrow and let’s see what happens.”

Schmitt said “Burns was simply scintillating on a warm, sunny day, bludgeoning TPC Craig Ranch on Friday … in front of a rowdy and sizable crowd.”

The newspaper has fielded two other calls Saturday from interested viewers wondering if Burns is from Tyler. Either way, they are cheering on their new adoptive son as he holds the lead through 54 holes.

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