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There couldn’t be a greater contrast than Tiger Woods, one of the best-known sportsmen on the planet, and an unknown like Sam Burns.
Yet both had fired in rounds of 70, 71, and 69 after 54 holes of the Honda Classic at Palm Springs, in Florida.
That was the only stat they shared, apart from playing right handed.
Woods is 41, Burns 21 – when Tiger won his first major at the 1997 Masters he was 21, Burns was eight months and 21 days.
Woods has won 14 majors, Burns was playing in his 14th PGA tournament.
And the biggest difference – Woods has won $110,120,697 in prizemoney alone, Burns $57,772.
When they stood on the first tee, Burns had only seen Woods play on television. When the youngster looked down the fairway, there were thousands of Tiger fans lining both sides, and around the par-four green in the distance.
Burns could be forgiven if he was feeling this was a David and Goliath battle, with the massive crowd over-powering.
Nothing could have further from the truth. Both birdied two of the first four holes and went on a par streak until Woods birdied the eighth, but bogeyed the ninth.
They turned in two under to continue their par streak until Woods birdied the 14th to take a one-stroke head-to-head lead.
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Step into the picture the infamous Bear Trap of 15, 16, 17, which has buried many an elite golfer. Since the Trap was born in 2007, the overall stat is 500 over par – it’s a monster of three successive holes.
Burns went through unscathed with three pars, but Woods was wet at 15 for a double, and three-putted for a bogey at 16 – for a three-shot swing.
The kid was stitching up the master as both parred the last for Burns to finish with a two-under 68 to Woods’ even-par 70.
Burns posted a flawless two birdie-16 par card to Woods’ double bogey, bogey, four birdie 12-par return.
Not enough praise can be heaped on the 597th world ranked Burns, who can now add beating Tiger off the stick to the Jack Nicklaus Award he won last year as the top collegiate golfer.
There were two outstanding facets to his play – the confidence he showed with every shot, especially his putting, and he wastes no time sending the ball on its journey. None of the constant waggle on the tee and fairways, nor taking ages to decide the putting line – he just steps up and fires away.
One tournament doesn’t make a career, but playing alongside Tiger Woods at their very first meeting in front of a sea of faces, will live long in his memory.
Strangely, there was no television coverage of Burns from the 11th to 15th, with CBS concentrating on Woods’ every shot.
Burns deserved better and more regular recognition from commentators Jim Nantz, Sir Nick Faldo, Ian Baker-Finch, Peter Kostis, Dottie Pepper, and Gary McCord, especially as Woods made no mention of his playing partner in the post-round interview.
Burns did exactly the opposite, describing Woods as a nice guy who encouraged him all day.
For the record, Justin Thomas won the tournament at the first play-off hole, denying Luke List his first PGA win.