[Golf Topic] '3-Win Champ' Burns "World Ranking 10th → 9th"... Im Sungjae 22nd

Sam Burns is holding a check and posing for a commemorative photo with officials immediately after winning the Charles Schwab Challenge. Fort Worth, USA = Getty Images/Multibits Photo by Multibits

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] ○…"World Ranking 10th → 9th."

‘3-time champion’ Sam Burns moved up one spot by earning 6.16 points in the weekly official golf world rankings announced on the afternoon of the 30th (Korean time). He accumulated points by winning the Charles Schwab Challenge (total prize money $8.4 million) at Colonial Golf Club (par 70, 7,209 yards) near Fort Worth, Texas, USA, which concluded that morning. This marks his third victory of the season, following the Sanderson Farms Championship included in the 2022 season last October and the successful title defense at the Valspar Championship last March.

Burns drew even more spotlight by clinching the top spot after a playoff battle against ‘Number 1’ Scottie Scheffler (both from the USA). On the first hole of the playoff resumed at the 18th hole (par 4), he sank the winning birdie putt from the fringe. He ranks 2nd in the FedEx Cup points (PO) standings with 2,101 points and 3rd in the money list with $6,146,000. It is remarkable that the long hitter averaging 310.10 yards (22nd on the PGA Tour) is also operating a ‘stingy putting’ game with a greens in regulation rate of 69.44% (16th) and an average of 1.71 putts per hole (8th).

The ‘Top 5’ remain unchanged with Scheffler, Jon Rahm (Spain), Cameron Smith (Australia), Collin Morikawa, and ‘PGA Championship champ’ Justin Thomas. ‘PO champ’ Patrick Cantlay (USA) is in 6th place, and Viktor Hovland (Norway) is chasing from 7th. In Korea, ‘Shriners champ’ Im Sung-jae (24) is ranked 22nd, ‘AT&T back-to-back winner’ Lee Kyoung-hoon (31) is 43rd, Kim Si-woo (27) is 60th, and ‘Asian Tour money leader’ Kim Joo-hyung (20, all from CJ Logistics) holds 75th place.