By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
OAKMONT, Pa. – Four holes remained, and despite some rain-induced struggles, Sam Burns’ drive was in the 15
th
fairway and he shared the lead at the U.S. Open Sunday afternoon.
But the Choudrant resident, who plays out of Squire Creek Country Club, was definitely not sitting pretty. His ball sat on a waterlogged section of the fairway at the bottom of a hill, and to everybody who wasn’t a United States Golf Association official, it looked like temporary relief was due.
Burns asked. Was denied. Asked for a second official to look. Was denied again. Television announcers questioned the ruling, and hours later, it remained highly dubious in the eyes of Golf Channel analysts and those in the media interview tent questioning Burns about it.
The ensuing shot predictably went awry, and led to a double bogey that sank Burns from the top spot to stay. He opened Sunday as the 54-hole leader at 4-under. After a closing 78, he tied for seventh – the best finish in a major championship for the 28-year-old Shreveport native – with his good friend Scottie Scheffler and former U.S. Open champion Jon Rahm, five shots back of surprise winner J.J. Spaun, Burns’ playing partner during Saturday’s round.
“That’s kind of the low part of the fairway there. When I walked into it, clearly you could see water coming up,” Burns said. “I took practice swings and it’s just water splashing every single time.”
After the pair of officials did not provide relief, Burns played the hand he was dealt.
“From that point, (caddie) Travis (Perkins) and I said, ‘Look let’s focus on the shot, try to execute.’
“I did the best I could. I was 100 percent locked in on what I was trying to do,” said Burns in the media tent afterward. “Ultimately, it felt like the water just kind of got in the way, and I went left. It is what it is.
“At the end of the day, it’s not up to me, it’s up to the rules official. That’s kind of that.”
Burns ran into more trouble, but without officials involved, and bogied 16. He recovered with a too-little, too-late birdie on 17 and bogeyed 18 to cap an afternoon that would have left many of his peers steaming about the ruling and bad breaks. Speaking to the media, Burns’ demeanor earned admiration.
“Applaud his attitude,” said Golf Channel host Ryan Burr.
Said analyst Paul McGinley, assistant captain of the 2025 European Ryder Cup team: “If he was entitled to relief, which it looked like from the TV pictures … the bigger issue here is Sam Burns and his behavior, how he handled it. I know it probably cost him certainly a chance to win the U.S. Open the last few holes, making double there and the turning into a bit of a tailspin. It was a tough break to get ….
“To see a player like this, in the heat of battle, at a U.S. Open, for his national title, getting a tough break and a tough ruling, and to handle it the way Sam Burns did, I am full of admiration for him. How he handled that, and the interviews afterward, that was a touch of class in my opinion.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” said analyst Brandel Chamblee. “This is the national championship, four holes left to play, that was probably one of the big turning points on the back nine, for him not to have sour grapes, not to come in and complain, not pitch a fit, just carry on, business as usual. You can’t say enough about his demeanor there.”
Burns had soared into the lead with a spectacular Friday round of 65. It was 9.8 shots better than the average score in the field, the highest figure anyone has posted in a U.S. Open in 16 years.
It left observers comparing Burns’ round to the historic 63 by Johnny Miller at Oakmont in the final round that carried him to the 1973 Open crown.
Burns followed that with a 1-under 69 Saturday, playing with Spaun, that edged him into solo first entering Sunday. He briefly had a two-shot lead and was 4-under for the tournament when weather and taxing conditions took a toll on the field, none more so than Burns.
He still brought home $614,423, to go with the $1 million he collected for a runner-up finish (playoff loss) a week ago at the Canadian Open. His Friday 65 was the best round all week at Oakmont, and one of the most remarkable this century in U.S. Open history.
