Bronson

Burgoon

The early-week forecast looked relatively clean this week and it still does after this current hiccup. The tournament should run smoothly for the rest of the week, barring any changes to the forecast. Daylight is already short at this time of the year, so a 90-minute delay should force round one to bleed into Friday. It’s no guarantee but they may be able to get back to the regular schedule by Friday evening. If not, we’ll be looking at the cutline early on Saturday morning.

The Texas A&M product is making his fifth appearance with one prior top 25, a T17 three visits ago in 2017-18. Today’s 67 is his best at Silverado in 14 laps, previously 68 (x2), and featured six birdies against one bogey on nine (of 14) fairways and 14 greens in regulation. The 34-year-old gained 0.241 strokes off-the-tee, 1.410 approaching, 0.745 around and 1.431 with the flat stick, currently No. 1 in SG: Approach with a cumulative 5.683. If he remains in the top 10 at day’s end, it would be his first time in the top 10 thru 36 holes since last season’s RSM Classic (Nov. 2020), where he was T3 before finishing T15 (68-63-67-71). See link below to post-round comments.

The Texan split just five fairways today but he was dialed in with his irons and wedged. Playing from the rough, Burgoon still found a way to land 14 greens in regulation. He led the field in strokes gained approach (+4.271). The 34-year-old likely feels like he “left a few out there” as he failed to convert on five of his scoring chances from inside of 14 feet with two of those coming from inside of five feet. Burgoon settled for 158th in the FedExCup race last year but regain his PGA TOUR card via the Korn Ferry Tour Finals and appears to be building on that momentum this week in Napa.

The 34-year-old Texas A&M product finished 156th in the FedExCup standings and kicked off the KFT Finals with a T-32 finish at the Albertsons Boise Open. This week in Columbus, Burgoon carded four straight rounds in the 60s and ended with a bogey-free, 5-under 66 at Ohio State’s Scarlet Course to finish at 15-under 269, tied with Stephan Jaeger and two strokes behind winner Adam Svensson. That moved Burgoon from T-25 to No. 1 in the Finals 25 with 528.273 points, well beyond the 210-point threshold the Korn Ferry Tour is currently using as its fail-safe number. In PGA Tour action this season, Burgoon played on conditional status and made 12 cuts in 26 starts with three top 25s. His best finish was a T-13 at the Valspar Championship and Byron Nelson, both in May. Burgoon previously earned his Tour card via the 2015 KFT regular-season standings (he finished 11th) and via the KFT Finals in 2017 and 2019. The KFT Finals wrap this week with the Korn Ferry Tour Championship at Victoria National GC in Newburgh, Ind.

The Texas A&M product’s career best among five top 10s in 109 prior events is runner-up two times, most recently a T2 at the 2019 CIMB Classic as the 18-hole leader, T4 after 54 holes (63-69-67-68). He’ll play out of the fourth-to-last threesome on Sunday with Harris English and Rafa Cabrera Bello. This is the second time this season in 18 events that the Texan is in the top 10 at the three-quarter mark, first since last fall’s RSM Classic 13 starts ago, where he was T2 before fading to T15 (68-63-67-71). On 12 (of 14) fairways and 12 greens in regulation, he lost 1.188 strokes around-the-green but gained 1.240 off-the-tee and 0.114 around-the-green. The 33-year-old penciled five birdies at holes 3, 5, 6, 9 and 12, three from between six and 14 feet, posting 1.958 SG: Putting with 27 total putts, buoyed by a par-save at 4 from eight feet. This is his third Nelson with two prior top 25s, including a best of T16 on last visit in 2018 at Trinity Forest (69-68-67-68). Inclusive of this week (68-66-67), the Woodlands, Texas, native has now recorded 11 straight laps in the 60s at the event.

Making his 97 career PGA TOUR start, this is the 33-year-old’s first time in the top 10 after 54 holes since T4 at the 2018-19 CIMB Classic 42 starts ago, where he eventually finished a career-tying-best T2 after being the 18-hole leader (63-69-67-68). After opening with 68-63, the Texas A&M product began T3 on 11-under, three back, and hit 12 (of 14) fairways and 13 greens in regulation. He lost 0.803 strokes approaching-the-green, but gained 1.287 off-the-tee and 0.358 around-the-green. The Texas native squared three bogeys at holes 3 (missed par-saver from 5'0"), 6 and 14, outpaced by six birdies at 8, 11-13, 15 and 16, three from between nine and 20 feet. He posted 1.538 putts per GIR and 1.096 SG: Putting with 28 total putts. Burgoon, who is eyeing his first win on any tour, will play out of the final threesome in the finale with 2014-15 winner Streb and local resident Zach Johnson.

The 33-year-old’s 63 is one shy of a career low in 272 rounds and matches the course record on the Plantation Course with four others, including Streb. This is his fifth RSM and second made cut, joining a T70 three tries ago in 2018 (69-68-70-75). The Texas A&M product checked in 1-for-4 on the season, cashing a T58 three starts ago at the Shriners (64-68-72-72), and off a missed cut by eight two weeks ago at the Houston Open as an open-qualifier (79-72). On 10 (of 14) fairways and 15 greens in regulation, he rang up nine birdies at holes 1, 7-9, 11-13, 16 and 18, recording 1.400 putts per GIR with 24 total putts. The Texas native, who opened with a three-birdie one-bogey 68 at the Seaside Course, is still chasing his first TOUR win in his 97th career event. His career best among two podiums is runner-up two times, most recently a T2 at the 2019 CIMB Classic.

The Woodlands resident dismantled Woodforest Golf Club on Monday afternoon to easily secure his spot in this week’s big event which kicks off on Thursday morning. Burgoon matched Erik Barnes (-9) for the low round of the day while the final two spots were decided this morning in a playoff. Sam Fidone (-5) and Isaiah Salinda (-5) came out on top of that 4-for-2 playoff with Brian Richey and Sebastian Vazquez falling short. Burgoon has been boom or bust over the last few months. He’s lapped the field by four or more shots in three of his last 17 rounds played but also lost strokes to the field in 10 of those rounds. Perhaps gamers will want to give him a look in a single-round showdown format on DFS sites this week.

The Texan was a pre-tournament WD ahead of the Safeway Open and Corales Puntacana as he awaited the birth of his daughter. His wife gave birth three weeks ago and Burgoon shook off the rust last week with a missed cut at the Sanderson Farms Championship. Burgoon looked much better today with 14 greens in regulation and 2.4 strokes gained putting. The short game was dialed in today as he converted six times from outside of 10 feet including a 41'6" birdie splash from off the green at the par-4 seventh. Burgoon missed the cut in his first two tries at the Shriners before improving with a T55 last year. He opened with a 5-under 66 last year which was his low round at TPC Summerlin before today.

Burgoon was a pre-tourney WD ahead of the lid-lifting Safeway Open and he’s holding off a bit longer after enjoying the welcomed addition to his family last week. His wife shared the news on social media. Gamers should remove the Texan from all weekly lineups but feel confident in re-investing when he returns to play, given this is not injury-related. Eric Axley is the next alternate in line and will snag his spot in the field.