Sam Burns golfer surged into the final-round chase at the U.S. Open, making four birdies in his first eight holes at Shinnecock Hills and moving into second place at minus-4. He started the day seven shots behind Wyndham Clark and cut that gap to one stroke before the round was half over.
Shinnecock Hills and Clark
Burns was 29 and trying to win his first major title, and his push came in a tournament where every birdie changed the board quickly. The run lifted him into the top tier of the leaderboard, with Clark still in front when Burns reached four-under.
That opening stretch mattered because Burns had not won an event in 2026, even though he had put together seven top-25 finishes, three top-10 finishes and 11 cuts in 14 events. He entered the U.S. Open ranked 30th in the world and carrying more than $38 million in career winnings.
Caroline Burns and Bear
The round also sat inside a family moment. Burns and Caroline Burns are expecting their second child in July, and Bear, their son born in April of 2024, will become an older brother later in the summer.
Burns and Caroline Burns have known each other since they were young children, and their relationship began while they were at Louisiana State University. He starred on the golf team there and won Jack Nicklaus Player of the Year honors before turning professional in 2017.
The path to this position has been steady, if not finished. Burns tied for seventh at the U.S. Open last year at Oakmont Country Club, and this week he opened with rounds of 71, 68 and 71 before his Sunday charge put him within striking distance of the lead.
The scoreboard now leaves him chasing a first major victory and a sixth professional win overall, with the winner set to receive $4.5 million from the $22.5 million purse along with the Claret Jug. Whether Burns turns that one-stroke gap into a title at the 2026 U.S. Open is the part still waiting to be written.
