Sam Burns was surprised by Donald Trump» during a round of golf they played together.
THE PGA Tour star, six-time tour winner and close friend of world number 1 Scottie Schefflerhad the chance to play with the president – whose significant playing time has not gone unnoticed – before his return to the Oval Office. After their match, Burns and his group joined Trump – who has spent $10.7 million of taxpayer money on the sport since returning to the White House – and a tech titan Elon Musk for a meal at Mar-a-Lago. The 28-year-old admitted the meeting was quite revealing, with no topics considered taboo.
Speaking on GOLF’s Subpar showBurns shared, “I get asked this question a lot. People ask, ‘What’s he like? He’s exactly like you would think. He’s exactly what you see on TV, brutally honest. He’s very open, you can ask him just about anything.’
“He’s a huge golf fan. He has some really funny stories, so it’s pretty cool to listen to. I asked him some questions. I didn’t know if he would answer or not, but he did.”
Asked what the most enlightening topics of conversation would be, Burns revealed: “That would probably be up to the Department of Defense. »
Commenting on the heavy security presence accompanying the president on the course, Burns added: “On any given hole, there are close to 20 carts. If you pay attention and look, you will see snipers and secret service everywhere.
“It’s funny, (because) I don’t know if it’s the safest place or the most dangerous place in the world. I think it’s a bit of both.”
NOT TO BE MISSED
Burns’ camaraderie with Scheffler has its roots in their shared journey from the junior ranks to becoming PGA Tour staples. Their close friendship, however, did not undermine their competitive advantage; both are fiercely determined to surpass the other.
Reflecting on his hard-fought playoff victory over Scheffler at the 2022 Charles Schwab Challenge, Burns admitted: “Yeah, we’re probably best friends. But at the same time, I can assure you he wanted to beat me more than anyone and I wanted to beat him more than anyone, and it happened to be both of us in the end.”
The duo will highlight their friendly rivalry at the upcoming Players Championship – often referred to as the unofficial “fifth major” – which begins at Sawgrass on Thursday.
