Burns appears primed to contend at U.S. Open
By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
He was right there last year, leading on the back nine in the final round of the U.S. Open.
After a rotten ruling from a U.S.G.A. rules official forcing him to play from apparent standing water on the 15th fairway, fortune turned for Sam Burns.
He struggled home on a soggy Oakmont Country Club course, shooting 3-over on the last four holes, in rainy conditions, and wound up tied for 7th.
The top 10 was no fluke. In 2024, the former LSU All-American 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, going off the 10th tee at 6:41 a.m. with Englishman Tyrrell Hatton and Si Woo Kim of Korea.
The native Shreveporter is among a group of players who many 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, who now lives in Choudrant and plays out of Squire Creek Country Club there, has five top 20 finishes in his last 10 starts. He is 29th in the Official World Golf Rankings with $3.5 million in 2026 earnings.
Golf Digest writer Keith Stewart ranked the entire 156-man field and put Burns at No. 7. The only players ahead of him: Tommy Fleetwood, Cameron Young, Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, and Scottie Scheffler – who turns 30 Sunday and can complete the career Grand Slam if he wins.
“If you know ball, then you’re aware of his recent success at the U.S. Open. One of two guys in the field with back-to-back top-10s in our national championship, Burns had a slow weekend in Canada, but I wouldn’t take that as an alarm. Instead, I would be looking at the T-7 at Augusta, a T-13 at TPC Sawgrass and a solid showing (T-26) at the PGA,” wrote Stewart.
Neil Parker of Covers cites Burns’ recent play and particularly improvement in his play on approaches and around the green. Burns leads the U.S. Open field in true strokes gained putting, and Parker notes “elite work on the greens will be (a) Shinnecock separator.”
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.
Burns made his U.S. Open professional debut at Shinnecock Hills in 2018, finishing in a 41st place tie.
Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com