Emotional Moments for Sam Burns at the U.S. Open

Sam Barnes couldn’t hold back tears when he thought about his father. After an impressive climb up the leaderboard on Sunday, closing the gap from seven strokes behind Windham Clark to just one shot away by the end of the round, Burns spent some time practicing on the driving range at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club with his dad watching, hoping for a playoff spot.

During his press conference, Burns’ usually reserved emotions surfaced. His father, Todd Burns, expressed pride in his son’s performance. And while Sam felt he played a solid round with a 3-under 67, marking his best at this event, he once again fell short at the U.S. Open. With each response he gave, you could sense a growing regret; he seemed increasingly anxious about the outcome.

“I think we both knew how special Father’s Day was going to be,” Burns reflected.

Burns started strong, notching four birdies on the front nine, though he did bogey one hole before the turn. After birdieing the 16th, he had a chance but ended with par on the last two holes—his attempts on both nearly made the mark but ultimately missed.

This moment was reminiscent of the previous year when he couldn’t sustain his lead at Oakmont Country Club, missing an opportunity for a major win. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Burns would have been the fifth player to lead the U.S. Open after 54 holes and win the next year after failing to clinch it the first time.

Last year, he mentioned feeling like he lost the tournament. This time, however, he was positioned as a chaser and a crowd favorite, but still came up short.

“I certainly don’t feel like that today,” he said, noting the tough challenge of overcoming a seven-shot deficit, particularly against a player like Windham. “That really was the difference today.” He acknowledged that had he been closer at some point, the ending might have been different. But he respected Windham’s impressive performance, stating, “This was his week. You have to give him all the respect.”