FORMER LSU TIGER SAM BURNS TEAMS WITH FELLOW TOUR ROOKIE CAMERON CHAMP IN 2019 ZURICH CLASSIC

NEW ORLEANS, LA (April 18, 2019)—Two PGA TOUR rookies, one a former LSU Tiger, have teamed to play in the 2019 Zurich Classic announced Steve Worthy, CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation, producer of the tournament.

Sam Burns, who made All-American at LSU, has teamed with fellow rookie Cameron Champ, who won his first victory in his ninth PGA TOUR start.

“These are two young players who’ve made an immediate impact on the PGA Tour, and we welcome them as a team to the Zurich Classic,” said Worthy. “Cameron has already won a PGA Tour event, and Sam followed some strong play last year with four top-25 finishes this season, so their future looks very bright,” Worthy added.

Burns, a native of Shreveport, was a three-time individual state champion in high school. At LSU he was named first-team All-American and was the NCAA Division I Jack Nickalus Player of the Year in the 2016-17 season. He represented the U.S. on the winning 2017 Arnold Palmer Cup team.

Later that year, he finished tied for sixth in the Barbasol Championship as an amateur.

He turned pro later the same year and finished tied for seventh at the Honda Classic, where he was paired with Tiger Woods in the final round. His top-10 finish at Honda earned him entry to the Valspar Championship, where he finished 12^th.

This season, his highest finish was a tie for third in the Sanderson Farms Championship, won by Champ. He has since scored three more top-25 finishes.

Playing for Texas A&M, Champ was a semi-finalist for the 2017 Jack Nicklaus Award that Burns won. Champ also made the Walker Cup team that year.

He won the 2019 Sanderson Farms Championship in his second start as an official member of the PGA TOUR. During this season, he has also recorded a sixth in the RSM Classic and a tie for tenth in the Mayakoba Golf Classic.

Champ is known as a prodigious driver. He later currently leads the PGA TOUR in driving distance, with an average of 316.8 yards. His teammate Burns is not far behind, averaging 306.5 yards off the tee, 19^thon the PGA TOUR.

The Zurich Classic is the only team tournament on the PGA TOUR season. Since launching the team format two years ago, the Zurich Classic of New Orleans has drawn some of the highest ranking fields for any regular-season tournament on the PGA TOUR. In 2018, the tournament field included six of the top ten players in the world; all four reigning major champions; the U.S. Ryder Cup captain and six members of the U.S. team along with the European Ryder Cup captain with four of his co-captains and six players on the victorious European team.

About Fore!Kids Foundation: 

Since 1958, the Fore!Kids Foundation has raised money to fund children’s service organizations through golf events like the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, The Holiday Auction Fore!Kids and several charitable golf tournaments. As a 501(c)(3) corporation, Fore!Kids has helped to raise more than $37 million to date for children’s charities in metro New Orleans and Baton Rouge. More information at http://www.forekidsfoundation.com.

About the Zurich Classic of New Orleans:

Televised in more than 224 countries and territories, the Zurich Classic of New Orleans generates a significant economic impact on the city of New Orleans and the entire state of Louisiana. Independent research has shown that the tournament generates spending of more than $40 million within the local economy and garners $33 million in positive national and international media exposure for both the city and state throughout the year beyond the four days of competition.

The tournament will be played April 22-28, 2019 at TPC Louisiana in Avondale. Purse for 2019 totals $7.3 million, with each member of the winning team earning $1,051,200.

Single-day grounds tickets are only $35 and weekly passes are $85. Single day tickets for the two most popular hospitality venues on the PGA TOUR start at $85 for Acme Oyster House and $185 for The Champions Club.  Other choices of suite and specialty venue options are available by calling the Tournament Office at 504-342-3000 or online at www.zurichgolfclassic.com.