THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

March 16, 2024

Sam Burns

TPC Sawgrass

Quick Quotes

Q. Out in 30 then vaulted yourself back up to the top of the leaderboard. How did it feel today?

SAM BURNS: It was a really good round. Kind of struggled the past couple days, but I knew if I could come out here this morning and post a really good number and get myself back in the mix a little bit, I don't think I'll be close at the end of the day, but a lot closer than where I started.

Q. Is there any sense it's firming up at all?

SAM BURNS: Yeah, a little bit. I think you can see some spots on the golf course it's kind of starting to brown out a little bit. Obviously this morning it was still pretty soft.

Q. What did you see on that putt on 17?

SAM BURNS: Honestly, it was a pretty easy putt. You just had to hit it like seven feet. I was really just kind of matching up the speed and where I was playing it. I played it about a cup out right. I knew it would go left early and then kind of sneak back to the right at the end.

Q. After a pretty tense finish to the second round, did you change anything with your approach or anything else going into today?

SAM BURNS: Yeah, I went after the round last night, went and kind of worked on a couple things with my golf swing on the range and I was able to find a little something. It's a crazy game. One or two swing thoughts here and there and clean up a couple things, and you never know what can happen.

Q. Are you able to talk to us about of the adjustments?

SAM BURNS: Yeah, it's just something I've always kind of worked on. I like to fade the ball, and my lower body was kind of stalling out on the downswing, so trying to feel like I rotate little better through it.

Q. On this golf course is there a number you have in mind that keeps you within striking distance? How many shots would you think?

SAM BURNS: I don't know. I really don't. It depends how the golf course plays. I think if it were to firm up a little bit, you could probably come back from six or seven, but with it being soft, you've got to be within two or three or four.

Q. Seven birdies and an eagle today. You've been near the top every event in terms of birdies per round. Is aggressiveness a mindset thing for you and your caddie, and how do you balance that on a course like this with so much risk?

SAM BURNS: I don't think there's -- there's not really a lot of risk when you start the day 13 shots back. You've got to come out and make some birdies. I knew coming into today we were going to play pretty aggressive and we had nothing to lose and we were in 55th place. If we shoot 74, who cares. Might as well try to go shoot a really good number.

Q. On the 17th, when do you start to think, this might really go in here?

SAM BURNS: Probably there the last three or four feet. I got a read off Thomas, his putt. I knew it was going to sneak back to the right at the end. It was kind of left edge-ish with four or five feet to go, so I thought it probably had a pretty good chance.

Q. In the first round and the second round darkness stopped play before everyone could get around. I was wondering if there was a reason for that or if you had anything to say about that.

SAM BURNS: A reason for the darkness stopping play?

Q. Well, is that an issue with slow play or -- not everyone got around even though it was two days of perfect daylight.

SAM BURNS: Yeah, I mean, it's a big field, 144 guys. It is challenging sometimes with daylight to get all 144 guys around. I mean, it's a challenging golf course, and especially guys who are kind of around that cut number, you don't really want to rush there at the end. Probably some guys who may have could have finished if they were either way in or way out, but if you're around that cut number, to come back this morning and kind of give yourself a better chance makes sense.