Sam Burns

Sam Burns is a PGA Tour pro from United States rated 85 overall (grade B+) in the 2025–26 pool — a Flat-Stick Assassin build headlined by putting at S, the standout of the nine zones on this card.

• Power sits at A- for Burns, a clear strength across the 2025–26 pool: 24 of the other 95 players in the pool rate higher. How far the ball goes off the tee — long hitters shorten every hole.
• At B, Burns's accuracy rating is a step below the pool average (42nd percentile of the 2025–26 pool) — 55 of the other 95 players in the pool rate higher. How often the ball finds the fairway and stays out of trouble.
• Iron Play sits at B+ for Burns, a shade above the pool average across the 2025–26 pool: 37 of the other 95 players in the pool rate higher. Precision from the fairway into the green — the single biggest driver of low scores.
• Short Game sits at B+ for Burns, modestly above average across the 2025–26 pool: 35 of the other 95 players in the pool rate higher. Scrambling around the green — chips, pitches, and bunker shots that save par.
• Putting sits at S for Burns, among the very best in the pool across the 2025–26 pool: no one else in the pool rates higher. Holing putts, especially the ones inside ten feet that turn pars into birdies.
• At A-, Burns's course iq rating is comfortably above tour-average (88th percentile of the 2025–26 pool) — only 11 players in the pool rate higher. Course management and shot selection — playing the smart shot, not just the bold one.
• At A-, Burns's nerve rating is a clear strength (83rd percentile of the 2025–26 pool) — 16 of the other 95 players in the pool rate higher. Composure in contention — how a golfer performs with the tournament on the line.
• At A, Burns's consistency rating is top-tier (93rd percentile of the 2025–26 pool) — only 7 players in the pool rate higher. How tightly a golfer's scores cluster around their average, round after round.
• At A-, Burns's engine rating is a clear strength (73rd percentile of the 2025–26 pool) — 26 of the other 95 players in the pool rate higher. Stamina and durability across a long season — fewer withdrawals, less late-year fade.

Flat-Stick Assassin. Wins with the putter more than any other club. When the flat stick is this good, mediocre ball-striking weeks still produce good scores.

The closest attribute profiles in the 2025–26 pool belong to Robert MacIntyre (91% similar), Jake Knapp (90% similar) and Jacob Bridgeman (89% similar) — three builds that would feel familiar to play.

• Robert MacIntyre,
• Jake Knapp,
• Jacob Bridgeman

Of the 24 events on the schedule, Masters Tournament, WM Phoenix Open and Travelers Championship suit this build's attribute mix the best, based on how each course's demands line up with the card's strengths.

• Masters Tournament — Major
• WM Phoenix Open — Tour event
• Travelers Championship — Marquee

At $8M (A tier), Sam Burns leaves $37M of the $45M Salary Cap budget for the other eight zones — room for 3 more S-tier chips, or 30 E-tier picks, or any mix in between. Good complementary picks to shore up the softer zones (accuracy, iron play and short game) include Scottie Scheffler ($10M), Collin Morikawa ($8M) and Tommy Fleetwood ($10M).

• Scottie Scheffler ($10M),
• Collin Morikawa ($8M),
• Tommy Fleetwood ($10M)

runner-up 2026 U.S. Open. Ratings on this card are editorial judgment, not official statistics — see the methodology page for how they are derived.

Every rating on this page is a 1–10 editorial judgment, not a live statistic — see how ratings and the season simulation work.