The weather was lousy at Memorial but this tour winner's score was terrific. This was Sam Burns' secret

DUBLIN, Ohio — Sam Burns played the kind of golf Friday at the Memorial Tournament that every golfer should try to emulate.

Burns fired—if that’s the appropriate term in a steady rainstorm—a second-round seven-under 65 at soggy Muirfield Village Golf Club, but more than just the score was noteworthy after he opened with a 76 in ideal conditions on Thursday. And the score was noteworthy; it was his first sub-70 round at Jack Nicklaus’ course and bettered his previous best by six shots.

But it was the manner in which Burns tacked his way around that was significant.

“It's not very often you're under an umbrella the whole round,” said Burns, who moved up 44 spots after making six birdies and an eagle against one bogey. “I think coming into today we kind of knew that that's what it was going to be like, so you really just, I think sometimes it can be helpful because you're just so focused on that shot and there's a lot of different things going on that you just kind of home in on what you're trying to do.”

Hmmm. Sounds a lot like taking it one shot at a time. Which is exactly what the Louisiana native did.

“It's a little bit more unpredictable just with the ball being wet or a little mud here and there, so you really just try to be, try to execute and then just accept whatever the outcome is,” he added.

And that sounds a lot like being patient.

Burns, 28, didn’t play a perfect round, but it was perfectly acceptable as he completed 36 holes in three-under 141. He hit nine fairways and 10 greens in regulation after making an adjustment to his takeaway with his swing coach Brad Pullin following Thursday’s frustrating performance. He was rather tidy when he did miss the green, including at the par-5 fifth where he holed out for eagle from the front greenside bunker.

Burns admitted that he isn’t necessarily a good wet-weather player. “If it’s raining at home I don’t usually play.”

No choice here, though.

In addition to just simply wanting to make the cut, Burns was intent on playing well for his caddie, Travis Perkins, on Perkins’ birthday. Motivation beyond the usual incentives has a way of clearing the mind, too.

“It’s always fun to get him a little extra sleep tomorrow,” Burns said.

He probably doesn’t mind a later tee time, either.