By Doug Ireland
There’s never been a time in Sam Burns’ nine-year professional golf career where not winning carried less sting than it did Sunday, when the Choudrant resident couldn’t hold the lead in the 154th British Open.
Burns birdied the second hole Sunday to open a three-shot advantage, but it quickly disappeared with three straight bogeys on holes 4-6. He steadied himself and parred the remaining 12 holes, but was overtaken by his playing partner, New Zealander Ryan Fox, who sank a 12-foot birdie putt on the final hole to win.
American Cameron Young charged in with a 6-under-par 64 and was the runner-up, one shot back at 9-under. Burns closed a remarkable weekend with a 72 and finished third at 8-under.
He set an all-time pro golf record Saturday when he followed his record-tying round of 62 on Friday with a 65 Saturday. Burns’ 127 shots over that 36-hole span are the fewest in golf’s major championship history dating back over a century. They came on the heels of a 3-over 73 in the opening round Thursday that left him tied for 106th.
After he surged into sole possession of the lead Saturday, with a 10-under card through 54 holes, Burns looked ahead to Sunday’s round and quickly getting home to his wife Caroline and their two kids – 2-year-old son Bear and infant daughter Belle, born July 3.
“Ultimately, whatever happens, I know that I can accept the outcome, and life’s going to move on,” Burns said Saturday evening. “I’ll get to go home and see my family. I hope I’m taking some hardware with me, but if I’m not, that’s fine, too.”
Belle’s arrival came 11 days early, and ultimately that surprise opened the door for Burns to compete in golf’s final major of 2026. Caroline’s encouragement convinced Burns to travel to England, instead of withdrawing from the tourney field as he planned to do.
So while he was cheery in the excitement of holding the lead entering the final day, he wasn’t morose in the aftermath of the tournament’s outcome. Burns was happy Sunday evening to be returning to Choudrant to reunite with his new foursome.
“I’ve been counting down the minutes since I got here,” he said. “Obviously I miss them a ton, and I can’t wait to get home.”
Before he left Royal Birkdale Saturday night holding a two-shot lead, those priorities were clearly expressed.
“Ultimately, whatever happens, I know that I can accept the outcome, and life’s going to move on,” Burns said Saturday evening. “I’ll get to go home and see my family. I hope I’m taking some hardware with me, but if I’m not, that’s fine, too.”
This outcome didn’t carry the sting that accompanied his runner-up finish in mid-June on Father’s Day at the U.S. Open, when he was in and out of the lead through the weekend and missed a 17-foot birdie putt on the final hole, sliding past on the right edge of the cup, that would have put him into a playoff.
A month later, with his third top 10 finish in this year’s four majors and fourth top 10 in the last six dating back to last summer, Burns didn’t appear emotional in the aftermath.
“I played a lot of great golf this week. Unfortunately I didn’t have my best today, and that showed,” he said. “Made a couple mistakes early. Actually, I feel like I played really well down the stretch. One or two things got in my way, and unfortunately it just didn’t happen (for me).”
Back nine highlights for the Shreveport native were sinking a 27-footer to save par on No. 13 and remain at 8-under, and a pressure-packed 340-yard drive down the middle on the par-4, 501-yard 18th hole to give him a shot at a birdie that for the moment would have tied Fox and Young for first. His 28-foot birdie putt was a couple inches right of the hole.
Fox captured the fabled Claret Jug, the Open Championship’s trophy, with his closing birdie conversion. Fox birded four of his final six holes and carried home a $3.2 million winner’s purse. Burns collected $1.1 million.
“My hat’s off to Ryan. He played an unbelievable round of golf on the back nine. A well-earned champion,” said Burns. “He hit the shots when he needed to, and he executed at the right moments, and that’s ultimately what it takes. Obviously, a very cool moment for him, and it was even cool for me to be able to watch him, and hopefully I’ll get to experience that one day.”
But first, he’ll be smiling broadly while changing diapers.
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