Just focus on the positives and leave the rest.
Sam Burns showed he didn’t care about his results at last year’s Canadian Open, carding an opening-round 64 on Thursday to share the tournament lead with four others after 18 holes north of the border.
advertisement
Burns, who lost in the playoffs to Ryan Fox in 2025, is a co-leader at Osprey Valley with Brooks Koepka, Eric Cole, Saheeth Seagala and Emiliano Grillo.
“Honestly, there was nothing negative for me,” Burns said when asked to reflect on the four bonus holes he played with the Foxes a year ago. “I started pretty far back that day and played some really good golf and was able to sneak into the playoffs. There were times when I had a chance to hole a putt and I didn’t hole it, but things like that happen. So I just took it really positively. I feel like my game was in a good spot and I’m going to try to do the same this year.”
It all comes just days after Burns shared the lead with Tommy Fleetwood for a T-4 finish at the Memorial late Sunday. At Jack’s Place, Burns made a painful mistake on the par-4 17th. That was the only blemish on his card Sunday.
Burns, a five-time tour champion, is fourth on tour in putting, but since the rain early Thursday morning, the course has been demanding more of his short game from the field than his tee shot.
advertisement
Asked if the putts were the difference this week on such a long course, he told reporters: “There are always a few key putts during a round, whether it’s to maintain momentum or save a shot here and there.”
He has been very consistent this spring, never finishing worse than T-38 in the past eight tournaments.
Barnes Last 8 Start.jpg
“I think at the end of the day, you just have to execute, no matter where you’re playing,” Burns said after the round in Toronto. “It would be nice to have some good memories before the tournament starts, but when you tee up, you have to be able to execute and hit the shots that the golf course demands.”
advertisement
He, along with Windham Clark and Christopher Reitan, are scheduled to tee off early at 7:44 a.m. ET. Both players have won over the past six weeks on tour.
“There are different challenges in the morning, but I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s easy or difficult,” Burns said. “Typically there’s moisture on the golf ball in the morning, which is another challenge in itself. Golf courses play a little bit longer, and the rough is usually thicker just with the humidity. Sometimes it’s easier to play, sometimes it’s more difficult.”
RBC Canadian Open 2025 at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley
RBC Canadian Open 2026: Tee times, groupings and how to watch the second round
Check out tee times and TV broadcast times for the second round of the PGA Tour’s RBC Canadian Open.
