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06/21/26 06:38:00
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06/21 18:36 CDT After missing his putt on the 18th hole, Sam Burns comes up one
shot short at the US Open
After missing his putt on the 18th hole, Sam Burns comes up one shot short at
the US Open
By STEPHEN WHYNO
AP Sports Writer
SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) --- Sam Burns tossed his putter aside, fell to his palms
and then down to his knees. The crowd around him groaned.
He was that close to sinking a birdie putt on the 18th hole to tie leader
Wyndham Clark at the U.S. Open and instead missed just right by a half-inch ---
maybe.
"I really thought I made that putt," Burns said after shooting a 67 Sunday to
get to 3 under for the tournament and go into the clubhouse one stroke behind
Clark. "It just didn't go in."
Burns sat down in the scoring tent, let out an exasperated sigh and put his
hands on his head. He could only watch as Clark birdied No. 16, bogeyed 17 and
two-putted in on 18 to win by the single shot Burns did not make down the
stretch.
"I felt like I was chasing all day," Burns said. "It's unfortunate I just came
up one short."
The heartbreak at Shinnecock Hills on Long Island came a year after Burns'
miserable finish at the U.S. Open at Oakmont outside Pittsburgh. He led after
two rounds, played in the final group Sunday and everything fell apart in the
rain when he shot 78 to fall out of contention and into a tie for seventh.
Burns was brilliant Sunday in his bid for retribution. Entering the final round
at even par, seven back of Clark, Burns birdied three of his first eight holes
to move past Scottie Scheffler and others into 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."
Clark bogeying three of his first seven holes made it close, but Burns was
never able to pull into a tie for first. Three-putting at No. 15 put him in a
difficult spot, and he thought the back nine was playing difficult.
With Clark shooting the same back-nine 35, Burns felt differently following
this loss than a year ago, saying, "The guy who played the best won."
It just wasn't him.
"Last year at Oakmont, I felt like more I lost the golf tournament," Burns
said. "I certainly don't feel that way today. I gave it my best, and I did
everything I could to have a chance to win."
When Burns was hitting balls on the driving range Sunday night, his dad, Tom
came over with a fatherly message on Father's Day.
"He just said he was really proud," Sam Burns said as he got choked up. "I
think we both knew how special it could have been for Father's Day. But I know
he's proud."
Burns' wife, Caroline, is 37 weeks pregnant with the couple's second child, he
said. Burns played with 2-year-old son Bear while waiting for Clark to finish
and left the course with life perspective after another difficult defeat.
"It's a crazy life we live sometimes," Burns said. "As a competitor, you want
to go out there and compete as hard as you can and try to win. But at the end
of the day, when you're off the golf course, it's really not that important and
family is a lot more important than golf."
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
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