Ahead of the 44th Ryder Cup, first-time U.S. Team member Sam Burns described making the team as, “No higher honor than to represent your country.”
Arguably, Burns has taken representing the United States to a whole new level.
Ahead of his journey to the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club near Rome, Italy, he released a video on his Instagram account unveiling his signature mullet with the letters “USA’’ carved onto the side of his head.
At his press conference on Tuesday, Burns clarified that a friend used a straight razor to shape the initials.
“I wasn’t that nervous. The worst thing that could happen was I get a little nick,” he said.
Fellow Ryder Cup newbie Wyndham Clark had something to say about the video, writing, “Last minute captain’s pick for Team USA… Joe Dirt,” referencing David Spade’s iconic character, while U.S. Captain Zach Johnson joined in on the fun at his press conference on Monday.
“I had no idea he’s doing that,” Johnson said. “He’s got great hair. I mean, I’d do it if I could do it. I just don’t have any hair to do it. … I’ve got two, three, four guys who have it short on the sides and long in the front and long in the back. You know what, hey, more power to them. Hey, if they are more comfortable, that’s what it’s about.”
One of those “guys” is 2023 PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka, who joined the chorus of opinions on Burns’ flow.
“Yeah, Sam has got a nice Kentucky waterfall going,” Koepka said. “It’s pretty solid, although the USA that’s inscribed in the side of his head, I don’t know if he was doing that looking in a mirror because it’s not — ‘USA’ doesn’t look the best, but it makes it even better, I think. It definitely classes it up a little bit.”
With the patriotic gesture, Burns revives Rickie Fowler’s 2014 Ryder Cup legacy. Ahead of the 40th edition of the matches at Gleneagles in Scotland, Fowler famously – or perhaps infamously – debuted the “USA” fade. Though outlandish hair is normalized in some other sports, it stunned the golf world. European media labeled it as “brash,” leaving Fowler no choice but to defend himself.
“You’ve got to show some patriotism and spirit for your country,” Fowler said at the time.
Disappointingly, the U.S. proceeded to lose in a 16.5-11.5 rout at Gleneagles. But this time the Americans hope to reverse their fortunes and win on European soil for the first time in 30 years. Though the outcome of the Ryder Cup remains uncertain, there is one thing fans can expect from the Burns camp in the future:
“I’ve just got to grow [the mullet] while I still have it,” he noted. “I’m not going to have it forever.”
Source : PGA Tour
