Sam Burns went to Southport with zero expectation of playing. When the final men's major of the season rolled onto the calendar at Royal Birkdale, the American golfer's itinerary was set for home in Louisiana, where his wife, Caroline, was expecting their second child with a due date of Tuesday, July 14. Burns had already mentally concluded that last month's U.S. Open would mark his final major start of 2026. I was expecting to be at home,
Burns told PGATOUR.com.
Then little Belle had different plans. Arriving eleven days ahead of schedule on July 3, the newborn opened a narrow window of opportunity across the Atlantic. Still, the mental hurdle of packing bags and leaving a one-week-old infant and a two-year-old son, Bear, weighed heavily. Burns sought counsel from friend and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler—who also recently navigated welcoming a second child—before Caroline delivered the decisive push. Ultimately, she's the one that really encouraged me to come over and play,
Burns explained after seizing control of the tournament. She basically said I've got this at home. Go over there and give it your best, and here we are.
That journey nearly derailed before it gained traction. After arriving on Monday and going without a club in hand for four days following Belle's birth, Burns stumbled out of the gate on Thursday at Royal Birkdale. Frustration boiled over when he bogeyed his final three holes to card a 3-over 73, leaving him furious with his execution. Once again, it took a transcontinental pep talk from Caroline to recalibrate his mindset with simple advice: Be where your feet are.
The course correction was immediate and historic.
- Round 1: Overcame a sloppy finish to sign for a 3-over 73.
- Round 2: Caught fire and holed out from a greenside bunker on the 18th hole to cap off a historic round of 62, tying the men's major championship record.
- Round 3: Rolled out a bogey-free, 5-under 65 on Saturday, capitalizing on early wedge precision at the second and a 4-iron approach to 15 feet at the fourth to reach a 54-hole total of 10-under 200.
That surge leaves Burns sitting on a two-stroke lead over Ryan Fox and Si Woo Kim with 18 holes standing between him and the Claret Jug. It is a remarkable turnaround for a player whose game has been quietly trending upward—including a runner-up finish to Wyndham Clark at the U.S. Open last month and a string of four consecutive top-20 finishes—even if victory on the PGA Tour has eluded him for more than three years.
Entering Sunday's final round, Burns appears to carry a lighter perspective shaped by fatherhood and past major heartbreaks. Recognizing that challengers will undoubtedly make a charge on Sunday, the 29-year-old insists he is equipped to handle whatever links golf throws his way. Ultimately whatever happens, I know that I can accept the outcome, and life's going to move on,
Burns said. 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.
Sources
These sources formed the evidence pack for this article. Links open the original publisher; inclusion does not imply endorsement.
- tsn.ca original
- The Associated Press original
- golfweek.usatoday.com original
- golfchannel.com original
- Paul Hodowanic original
- Adam Schupak, Golfweek Thu, July 16, 2026 at 7:49 AM UTC · 1 min read original
