By Doug Ireland
U.S. Open heartbreak had a different feel this time for Sam Burns.
The Choudrant resident, who plays out of Squire Creek Country Club, finished runner-up, by one shot – by an inch, you could say — Sunday at the 126th U.S. Open on Long Island’s Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. And he was choked up speaking to media about it.
A year earlier, it was a sour, bitter ending to a strong week at Oakmont Country Club near Pittsburgh, when Burns led much of the way including a 36-and 54-hole advantage and a two-shot edge on the back nine Sunday. But it unraveled following a downpour, after a dubious U.S.G.A. ruling forced him to play from what appeared to be standing water in the 15th fairway, and he went 4-over in the last four holes, settling for a seventh-place tie. He was diplomatic as possible afterward in rueing the ruling.
This time, Burns almost joined Arnold Palmer for the largest final-round comeback in the championship. Palmer trailed by seven strokes in the 1960 U.S. Open at Cherry Hills Country Club in Denver.
Twice, the 29-year-old Shreveport native moved within a shot of Wyndham Clark’s lead, the second time after draining an 18-foot birdie putt at the par-5 16th hole. Then it got even more agonizing: a 10-footer for birdie on the par-3 17th missed 2-3 inches right, and a birdie try from 17 feet on the final hole slid past on the right edge, fractions from falling in. Burns went to his knees and flipped his putter softly.
Clark, the 2023 U.S. Open champ, pulled off a minor miracle with a birdie out of a terrible lie on the par-5 16th, draining a 24-foot putt to turn what could have been a bogey or worse into a two-shot edge. Clark gave one back with a long three-putt bogey on 17. On the tourney’s final hole, Clark needed to two-putt from 59 feet to hold off Burns, and lagged his birdie try within inches of the cup to clinch the outcome.
After his best finish in a major championship, and a close miss of his first PGA Tour win since 2023, Burns was understandably emotional. His dad, Todd, was with him after the round on the practice tee, watching to see if Clark would crack, with Sam staying loose if he did. When Clark survived, father turned to son and told him how proud he was.
Recounting that moment to the media stopped Sam, and it took a few seconds for him to sniffle and gather himself to answer.
“I think we both knew how special it could have been for Father’s Day,” Burns said.
“I would say last year at Oakmont I felt more I lost the golf tournament,” Burns said. “I certainly don’t feel that way today.
“I started the day seven shots back. That’s very difficult to overcome, especially someone who is playing as well as Wyndham has been playing. That was really the difference today.
“If I would have been a little bit closer and maybe could have got ahead of him at some point, I think there could have been a different outcome possibly, but at the end of the day, he played amazing, and it was his week. You got to tip your cap to him.”
Burns said he would probably see his final birdie try taunting his memories as he went to sleep Sunday night.
“I really thought I made that putt,” he said. “It just didn’t go in.”
Burns was brilliant Sunday, making the only serious run at Clark with a closing 67. He began the round at even par, and birdied three of his first eight holes to move past a pack into solo second place.
“To start the day seven shots back, I knew it was going to take something really special,” Burns said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better start.”
Conversely, Clark bogeyed three of his first seven holes made it close. Three-putting at No. 15 put Burns in a difficult spot that he almost escaped to force a playoff.
But Burns made one last charge, and was truly edged out of a shot at the title.
This time around, he was able to say without question, “The guy who played the best won.”
Clark collected a $4.5 winners’ payday. Burns got half that, $2.43 million, for his biggest check of the year.
It was his third straight top 10 at the U.S. Open, after last year’s seventh and a ninth-place tie in 2024.
