By Doug Ireland
He was right there last year, leading on the back nine of the U.S. Open.
After a rotten ruling from a U.S.G.A. rules official on the 15th fairway, fortune turned for Sam Burns.
He struggled home on a soggy Oakmont Country Club course, in rainy conditions, and wound up tied for 7th.
The top 10 was no fluke. In 2024, the Choudrant resident finished tied for ninth at the national championship.
Today he tees off in the 2026 edition, at Shinnecock Hills on Long Island, N.Y., hoping to be in the mix again.
Burns, 29, is in the very early wave of starters today, going off the 10th tee at 6:41 a.m. with Englishman Tyrell Hatton and Si Woo Kim of Korea.
The native Shreveporter is among a group of players who most golf analysts expect to contend – not only based on his recent play at the Open, but his recent play this season.
He has two top 10 finishes in the past couple months, in strong fields: seventh at The Masters, his best showing at Augusta, and fourth two weeks ago at The Memorial, when he was tied for the lead on the 17th tee.
Burns has five top 20 finishes in his last 10 starts.
Today’s TV coverage is on USA Network beginning at 6:30 a.m.
Friday, coverage shifts to Peacock throughout the day beginning at 6:30, with NBCSN streaming from 6:30-1:30 and NBC picking up coverage at 1:30.
USA Network will have morning coverage on the weekend rounds with NBC and Peacock taking over at noon each day.
Golf Digest rated Burns as its seventh most-likely pick to win.
