Minnesota Golfer - Summer 2020 - 27

thing is new, the courses are new again, " says Burnham. " I just
wanted to experience as much as I could, get through the year
and learn for the upcoming season. "
Burnham bounced back by making fi ve consecutive cuts to fi nish
the year 122nd on the 2019 LPGA Tour Money List, making
seven cuts in 15 offi cial events and amassing more than $65,000 in
winnings. Her career-low fi nish came at
the Cambia Portland Classic in August
where she claimed her fi rst top-10
fi nish.
Despite missing the cut during her
fi rst start of 2020 at the ISPS Handa
Vic Open in Australia in February,
Burnham opted to play a handful of
events on the Cactus Tour-the only
tour currently hosting events, due to
the worldwide shutdown from the
COVID-19 pandemic.
The former Wayzata High School
standout played in fi ve events, notching
four top-5 fi nishes with a pair of victories.
She now hopes to carry that momentum
back to the world's top tour when the season
resumes in mid-July.
" I was in Arizona from January until the
birdies to keep my lead. "
" On No. 17 I [double-bogeyed] and she bogeyed, so we were
all square going into the fi nal hole. I hit a shot from 190 yards to
two feet and tapped in for eagle to win by a stroke. It was really
fun, and it was good to feel the pressure. "
Looking back on her rookie season, Burnham felt her nerves
got the better of her game early in
the season. Then a familiar tournament-not
far from the campus of
Michigan State-seemed to give her
the boost she needed.
Burnham posted a 9-under 279
" They say your rookie
year is one of the
end of April and the [Cactus Tour] is in the
Phoenix area, so I didn't have to travel far, "
Burnham says. " It was nice because we could
social distance; we played in twosomes and
didn't touch the pin. The fi eld wasn't very big,
so it felt like we were going out to play a regular
round of golf. "
In her fi rst event against the likes of fellow
LPGA stars Anna Nordqvist, Lisa Pettersson,
North Dakota's Amy Olson and fellow
Minnesotan Brenna Lervick, Burnham fi red a
54-hole tally of 9-under 207 to fi nish tied for
fourth with Olson in mid-March.
A week later, at Sundance Golf Club in Buckeye, Ariz.,
in the process.
" That week was pretty challenging, " she says. " I started out in
eighth place-that course could kind of sneak up on people and
you just had to be really steady. And I was able to pull off the win. "
Battling Hawaiian Britney Yada two weeks later at Apache
Creek Golf Club, Burnham shined down the stretch, hitting a
clutch approach on the 54th hole to earn her second victory in
just her third event on the Cactus Tour.
" That week was really intense, " Burnham recalls. " I went into
the last round ahead by two, and I was going back-and-forth
with Brittany, who's a really good Symetra Tour player. She was
making a bunch of birdies, and I knew I had to keep making
mngolf.org
toughest-everything
is new, the courses
are new again. I just
wanted to experience
as much as I could,
get through the year
and learn for the
upcoming season. "
- Sarah Burnham
Burnham overcame a two-stroke defi cit during the fi nal round.
She earned a two-stroke victory, collecting a payday of $2,800
to fi nish tied for 33rd at the Meijer
LPGA Classic for Simply Give in
Belmont, Mich. This earned her an
exemption into her fi rst major as a
professional-the KPMG Women's
PGA Championship at Hazeltine
National Golf Club, where she would
play in front of her home crowd and
make the weekend cut for the second
consecutive week.
" The fi rst part of the year I felt like I was
pretty nervous getting out there with the best
professionals in the world, " Burnham says.
" Every tournament I played at the beginning, I
felt so tense-I wasn't used to having so many
fans watching. That was a new experience. "
Shifting to 2020, Burnham began the year
No. 149 on the LPGA Tour's Priority List and
will likely earn more starts than the 15 events
she played in during 2019.
After missing the cut in Australia in
February, Burnham, who turned 24 in March,
was prepared to travel back to the United
States when there were rumblings of the coronavirus
beginning to gain traction in Asia.
" We were in Australia when they started to shut down the
Asian swing of the [LPGA Tour], " Burnham says. " We didn't
have any travel issues-the fl ight there was full, but there were a
lot fewer people on the fl ight home. "
Burnham says she's looking forward to another home game
of sorts when the LPGA Tour gets up and running in mid-July
at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational at Midland Country
Club in Midland, Mich.
" I think if I'm on during a particular week, I can compete
with the best in the world, " Burnham says. " My ball striking is
up there with any of the girls. I think we all hit the ball really
well, but I think it comes down to the short game and putting.
" I know what to expect a little bit more in my second year,
and I don't think my nerves will be an issue. I've played most of
the courses now and can go back and remember when I made
mistakes and how I can improve. That will help a lot. "
Summer 2020 MINNESOTAGOLFER
27
PHOTO BY W.P. RYAN
http://www.mngolf.org

Minnesota Golfer - Summer 2020

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