Rory McIlroy will be on the hunt for more major success at the US Open this week but CBS star Amanda Balionis has made a surprise tip to find glory in Pennsylvania
Amanda Balionis has tipped Sam Burns for success over Rory McIlroy(Image: Harry How/Getty Images)
Amanda Balionis has tipped Sam Burns for success in the US Open later this week, even with competition to come from the likes of Scott Scheffler and Rory McIlroy. The CBS Sports reporter has been said to have a close relationship with McIlroy but it did not prevent her from looking elsewhere for a shout at who could earn glory.
And it is Burns who has received her backing following his tense play-off defeat at the Canadian Open on Sunday. The 28-year-old American put in a stunning final round to record an eight-under-par 62 before New Zealand’s Ryan Fox matched his 18-under-par score to force a play-off.
It took a further four holes to separate the pair with Fox earning a birdie to secure victory. But the outing still shows that Burns is ready to be competitive.
At least, CBS star Balionis was convinced enough by his performance. Burns, ranked 22nd in the world, made seven consecutive cuts and finished in the top five twice in the run up to making the trip to Oakmont Country Club.
“Fox will tell you it took him longer than expected to settle in here on the PGA Tour, but after a dramatic win a month ago, the Kiwi is playing free and is now a multiple-time winner,” said Balionis after Fox’s win in Canada.
“Sam Burns is playing out of his mind right now. Once again, the LSU talent put himself in the mix, and if I’m you, I’m snagging him early for any US Open pools you might be in.”
Despite Balionis’ faith, Burns has often failed to show his best in major competitions in his career. The Canada Open runner-up has managed just one top-10 finish in 20 majors and tied ninth at last year’s US Open at Pinehurst No.2.
McIlroy meanwhile has his own issues despite banishing his Grand Slam demons. A change of driver has caused some issues for the 36-year-old, who missed the cut at the Canadian Open.
Amanda Balionis was working for CBS during the PGA Championship(Image: Jared C. Tilton, Getty Images)
Balionis will not be working in Pennsylvania to see whether her tip pays off. Instead NBC will be in charge of the broadcast for the third major tournament of the year.
The 38-year-old reporter is scheduled to return to action the following week at TPC River Highlands for the Travelers Championship in Connecticut.
Signing off from her time in Toronto, Balionis said: “We had The Rink, we had the cutest kids visit us on set, we had the New Zealand national football team living and dying by every Ryan Fox shot.
“We had an incredible national open. It’s time for a week off. In my best Mike Wilbon voice, ‘Goodnight Canada!'”.
