The 2022 Valspar Championship had one of the best finishes so far this season. On top of that, the returning champion Sam Burns was able to take the victory once again.
Other players in the field kept the event very close and added to the dramatic effects. Below you can see just how this came to be.
Who is Sam Burns?
Burns is currently the 17th best golfer in the world according to the rankings. He won this event last year and played excellent golf this time around to secure another victory.
This time, he had to finish his win with a playoff against Davis Riley. Riley clawed his way back into this event and arguably played some of the best golf in the final round.
Burns was not going to be denied, especially after draining every putt within nine to 12 feet. In addition, he also nailed a 33-foot putt in the playoff to secure his victory.
After this recent performance, it is safe to say that Burns is a legitimate threat to the other top golfers. This marks his third victory over the last year, so do not be surprised if he continues to add any more this year.
Top Players in the Field Performances
Davis Riley nearly won this event, obviously with the playoff. He fought his way into the final round and even scored an eagle on the front nine.
The defining moment was definitely the finish of the event. When Riley chipped for 28 feet from the pin and Burns at his 33 feet, only to see Burns nail the putt, this put the game to rest.
Justin Thomas tied for second and looked like he was the best player in the field for most of this event. In fact, he led the field in strokes gained from tee to green.
Thomas did not have anything wrong with his game to lose here, it was just one of those events where someone made a birdie or better on a hole or two. If there was another day of this event, you could argue that Thomas would be the one to win.
Sahith Theegala tied for seventh and looked like he had a shot down the stretch to win. He looked just like he did when he nearly won the Phoenix Open about a month ago.
His phenomenal play happened to be the second-best tee to green strokes gained average in the field. This time last year, he was outside of the top 1,000 golfers. Now, he is flirting with cracking the top 100 in best golfers.
Surprising Results
Dustin Johnson tied for 39th and still looks a bit rusty at times. He started the event off with a 67 and it appeared that he had some momentum heading into this event.
His 63 that he played in TPC Sawgrass gave bettors a look that maybe he was ready to ignite this tournament. However, he played the next 54 holes with one under. The only good news is that his putter seemed to be off, which is something that he has bounced back from before.
