"I start crying because he told me I was invited": Sam Burns’ hilarious reaction about Zach Johnson’s Ryder Cup selection call
Sam Burns was a captain's choice for the Ryder Cup, making it after placing 12th in points. He would have barely made the top 12, but he was added via a choice.
Now, he is with his American counterparts in Italy, preparing for one of the biggest weekends of their lives. How he learned he made the team is a rather hilarious tale.
Burns recounted the tale in an interview:
"We got home from Atlanta on Sunday night and Zach had sent us all a text like, 'Okay, I'm going to call everyone in the morning.' Let everybody kind of know. Of course I did not sleep even though I was so tired... I'm just staring at the ceiling the whole night. So I get up Monday morning, well, not really."
He continued:
"I stand up out of bed and I was like, 'We've got to get out of the house for a little bit.'... I had to go to the bathroom, like... bathroom, bathroom. As soon as I sit down, Justin started texting... While I'm responding to him, Zach calls me.... I'm like mid-poop, and then I start crying because he just told me I'm invited. So much is going on."
He admitted that he was trying to finish up while talking on the phone with Zach Johnson. His wife was looking for him, and he revealed to her that he'd made it. It is a story none of them will soon forget.
Sam Burns was one of six selections. He was named alongside Justin Thomas, who was texting him during the encounter. He was also named alongside Rickie Fowler, Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth, and Collin Morikawa.
The captain's decisions, namely to include Thomas (who missed the FedEx Cup Playoffs) over Keegan Bradley or Cameron Young, were scrutinized. Some felt that Burns was a surprise selection, but he is on the team now.
The full team is:
- Scottie Scheffler
- Brian Harman
- Wyndham Clark
- Patrick Cantlay
- Max Homa
- Xander Schauffele
- Koepka
- Thomas
- Fowler
- Burns
- Morikawa
- Spieth
They will take on Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, and the rest of Luke Donald's crew this weekend in Italy.
Sam Burns debuts a new cut at the Ryder Cup
The European side is full of rookies who have not played in the Ryder Cup yet. They have a few very young players who will be making their debuts. On the American side, there are a few similar players.
One of them is Sam Burns, who is already getting a lot of attention. Most of it is because of his wild new haircut. The golfer has a mullet with "USA" shaved into the side of his head. It's certainly a different look.
Brooks Koepka, who also has a new haircut for the tournament, said via Golf Channel:
“Sam has got a nice Kentucky waterfall going. It’s pretty solid, although the ‘USA’ that’s inscribed in the side of his head, I don’t know if he was doing that looking in a mirror because ‘USA’ doesn’t look the best, but it makes it even better.”
Perhaps it will help Sam Burns play better and spur the United States on to victory.