The career progress of Sam Burns is a testament to the notion that if you knock on enough doors one will eventually open.

Which is not to sat that the Louisiana State University grad took an age to breakthrough at the top level, but he did have several near-misses in a short space of time before he finally captured his first PGA Tour title.

That triumph arrived at the Valspar Championship in May 2021 and by the end of the campaign he had performed well enough to qualify for a first start at the Tour Championship.

He then opened the 2021/22 season with victory at the Fortinet Championship, the first of four top 20s before the Christmas break.

As if to reiterate that he was now very comfortable at the highest level he marked his debut at the end-of-season Hero World Challenge, an unofficial event with an invited elite field, with a tilt at the title before finishing tied third.

In March 2022 he successfully defended his Valspar Championship title and added the Charles Schwab Challenge in May, making it four wins in 13 months.

Amateur years

Born and bred in Louisiana, Burn's early golf was focussed in the state and he enjoyed great success.

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He was a three-time individual state champion, he landed four wins in his Sophomore season at LSU, and was both an All-American and the Jack Nicklaus National Player of the Year in 2016/7.

He also represented Team USA in the 2017 Arnold Palmer Cup (alongside Collin Morikawa) and proved he had what it takes at the top level by first qualifying for the PGA Tour's Barbasol Championship before finishing tied sixth.

Turning professional

He joined the pro ranks in late 2017 and was T10th at the Web.com Qualifying School.

Early in the 2018 season he finished second at the Colombia Championship before winning the Savannah Golf Championship in April. A total of six top 10s in that campaign vaulted him onto the main tour.

Once again, he got off to a bright start. He was third in the second start of the 2018/19 season at the Sandersons Farms Championship, the first of eight top 30s which allowed him to retain his card.

Improving performances

He made a slow start to his second season on the PGA Tour, but six top 30s allowed him to once again preserve his playing rights.

The dawning of his third season witnessed a genuine step-up in the quality of his golf, however.

There were six top 30 finishes in his first 10 starts, three of them top 10s.

Moreover, he held a two shot halfway lead in the Safeway Open, a one shot 54 hole lead in the Houston Open, he was third with 18 holes to play at the Farmers Insurance Open, and he then had a two shot 54 hole lead at the Genesis Invitational.

He was getting closer, but there were cynics wondering if he would ever turn one of these golden opportunities into glory.

Breakthrough and consolidation

In May 2021 Burns was back on top of a leaderboard, sharing the halfway and third round leads in the Valspar Championship at Innisbrook.

This time there was no failure to land the trophy. A final round 68 saw him complete a three shot victory.

Had he learned a lesson in all those near-misses? Yes, he had.

"I always felt that you had to play perfect golf to win," he admitted. "I always felt that you had to play your absolute best on a Sunday to win. And after those experiences I realized that it's not the case. I was trying to do too much."

He very nearly rode the wave, leading again in his next start at the Byron Nelson Championship before finishing second.

A final round 64 at the WGC St Jude Invitational in August saw him reach a play-off which Abraham Ancer won. However, it was further proof that Burns was no longer just a fine PGA Tour performer, but potentially world class.

He duly made it to the final stages of the FedExCup Playoffs.

When the 2021/22 season started Burns wasted no time adding to his growing reputation.

He won the Sanderson Championship and added another three top 20s before the holiday break.

He also finished tied third in the Hero World Challenge, appearing to enjoy competing among an elite field.

In 2022 he held the halfway lead in THE PLAYERS Championship before slipping back down the field. A week later he successfully defended the Valspar Championship and in May he won the Charles Schwab Challenge, first overcoming a seven shot pre-final round deficit and then draining a 35-foot birdie putt to beat World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler.

Sam Burns' personal life

Burns is married to his fellow Louisianan Caroline Campbell. They first met aged just five-years-old, although they only started dating at college. They married in late 2019.

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After winning his second title while wearing yellow he revealed he had done so to raise awareness of spinal meningitis which his nephew was suffering from in hospital at the time.

Sam Burns' net worth

As of December 2021 he was reported by idolnetworth.com to have a net worth of over $13million.

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Sam Burns enjoyed a sparkling 2021, a year in which he transformed himself from a nearly man into a two-time winner on the PGA Tour.