Burns leads, Dunlap 2 back at PGA Tour’s The American Express
LA QUINTA, Calif. – Sam Burns shot a 61 Friday at American Express to lead Michael Kim by one stroke and amateur Nick Dunlap by two after two rounds. Dunlap, the reigning U.S. amateur champion and the only non-pro in the 156-player field, had six birdies in the first nine holes for a 65 and an 18 to stay in the Coachella Valley. The University of Alabama sophomore receives a sponsorship waiver. Since 1945, only seven amateur players have won on the PGA Tour. Phil Mickelson last did it in 1991 in Tucson, Arizona. Burns finished at 17-under 127 after an impressive second consecutive round, ahead of Dunlap and Korea’s K.H. Mr. Lee was 15 years younger than him.
Burns set the course on fire with seven birdies and two eagles at the Nicklaus Tour, starting with eagle no. 4. After hitting his second eagle on the 11th, he added four birdies in a row on holes 13 through 16, shooting a sub-60 for the third time in tournament history. He didn’t make it, but his two finishes were the best laps of his career. Burns shot 62 at the BMW Championship last season and Byron Nelson in 2021. “Obviously everybody’s doing well, so I’m just trying to pace myself and hit as many quality shots as possible and get as many looks as possible,” said Burns, who has five PGA Tour wins. . “La Quinta and (Niklaus) and the greens around the stadium are really good, so I feel like I can hit key shots.”
Things didn’t go so well for Burns, who after bogeying the final hole took off his hat and inadvertently revealed to viewers the “RTR” shaved into the side of his head. The “Roll Tide Roll” acronym is the result of the Louisiana LSU product losing a punt to Alabama native Justin Thomas. Justin Thomas celebrated his win with a photo on social media.
“Luckily, I wear the hat every day and I try to wear it as long as possible,” Burns said with a laugh. “Like everyone else in Louisiana, congratulations to (Nick) Saban on his retirement.”
Burns and Kim once again lead the pack with impressive scores on three straight courses at American Express. 15 players are within 4 shots of the lead. Kim is a product of the Southern California junior golf scene and has played several times in the growing Palm Springs area. He shot 65-63 on the American Express Course in Friday’s first two rounds, including six birdies on the Nicklaus course on the back nine. “I can even remember photos I took 10 or 15 years ago,” says Kim, who grew up in San Diego. “That’s why I think it’s so fun to go back down memory lane and remember the times when I wasn’t stressed.”
Sweden’s Alex Noren, the first-round co-leader, had a long birdie on the 18th hole and shot a 68, three shots behind Burns. The other first-round leader, Zach Johnson, shot a 69 on the Nicklaus Course and was four shots back.
Burns fell short of the 59th in the Bob Hope Desert Classic for just the third time in tournament history. David Duvall made it in the final round at Palmer Private Course in 1999, and Adam Hadwin made it in the third round at La Quinta Country Club in 2017.
Hadwin is 14 this year to start after 65.
