PALM HARBOR, Fla. — Sam Burns held on to win the Valspar Championship Sunday after setting the tone early on with back-to-back birdies.

His final-round co-leader, Keegan Bradley, stayed close throughout and the pair battled nearly to the end.

It was the third time this season that Burns held a share of the lead going into the final round, but this time he held on to win it all, giving him his first PGA Tour win.

"I don't think I could have dreamed up a better moment," Burns said. "Just to have my wife there. We've been together, not married, together for five or six years. Just a moment we'll get to have for the rest of our lives. We'll get to tell our kids about it one day."

The pandemic forced last year's Valspar Championship to be canceled just days before the event was scheduled to tee off.

But the event returned to Innisbrook this week, along with fans, though a limited amount.

And it was a beautiful weekend for golf.

In addition to being excited for a Sunday finish with a tight leaderboard featuring Keegan Bradley, Sam Burns and Max Homa, fans were just excited for the return of live sporting events.

Event organizers spent the past year prepping for this week’s return, and it went off without a hitch.

"It feels great to have the tournament happen again,” said Tournament Director Tracy West. “I think the community was really disappointed, I mean people really look forward to this event.

“Not only to see the world’s finest golfers compete on the Copperhead (course) but for the economic impact it does, for the charitable impact. But just to come out and be a part of a big event and a PGA Tour event. So I think people were really disappointed last year, so people are excited now."