A grand champion in waiting? Sam Burns endured another close call at The Open

Sam Burns knows a thing or two about the high pressure of a tournament. The 29-year-old has taken his game to a new level over the past few seasons, raising his status as a consistent contender in golf’s four major championships.

On Sunday at the 2026 Open, Burns found himself in contention again. The American holds a two-stroke lead in the 54-hole field over eventual winner Ryan Fox, his partner in the event’s final pairing.

Burns was on pace for a 10-game winning streak when he teed off on the 18th green on Saturday. He was even better going to the 2nd green on Sunday after a fast start. Unfortunately, Burns was too bad when his final putt fell, and he had no choice but to shake hands with Fox, who powered his way to the Claret Jug with a last-round climb and a stellar effort on the 72nd hole.

On paper, Burns is doing what every player should be doing: finding valuable information. And the experience is mostly just that: precious.

Earlier in the week, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler talked about Burns’ ability to play himself in the weekend majors with consistency recently: “He’s someone I spend a lot of time around. I know how good he is. Sometimes, you just need to continue to build on that experience and put yourself in positions. He was close at the US Open last year. He was shut out again this year.

“He’s played really good golf in a lot of major tournaments. It’s really hard to win here a lot of times. Sam’s a guy who’s been knocking on the door a few times this year and couldn’t make it. But it’s just a matter of keep giving yourself opportunities, keep knocking on the door. Sam’s played in the Presidents Cup a couple of times. He’s a guy I look up to all the time. He’s got a lot of talent for me, it’s just a matter of time until he makes it to one of these.”

There comes a time when experience changes innocence. It’s almost as if the player becomes a victim of his own success. Yes, Burns is playing high-level golf against high-level competition, but he has yet to break through that ceiling and put himself at that high, level of play that is required four weeks a year.

Doubts may begin to appear. What is missing? When does the ball bounce? How can I change my wealth?

Since the start of the 2024 season, Burns has given himself five legitimate chances to lift one of golf’s most prestigious trophies. About 50% of the time in those 12 tournaments, his name was on the front page of the leaderboard at the crunch time.

Burns shot a final round of 80 at Royal Troon in 2024 to eliminate himself from contention. He held the lead at the 54-hole mark at Oakmont and then faltered, not because of a poor decision on the back nine. In 2026, Burns took an even bigger step.

Prior to his performance at The Open, the right-hander righted the ship at Augusta National and kept himself at the Masters throughout the tournament. At the US Open, he hit a shot. He hit as he tried to overcome a seven-stroke deficit to Wyndham Clark with a final-round 67 that fell woefully short with missed birdie bids on the 71st and 72nd holes.

Everything is looking up and right for Burns. This performance should theoretically accelerate that trajectory, too, though a final round of par golf was all it took to force a playoff.

However, this builds on the success of the last three major champions. Fox had never finished in the top 10 before lifting the Claret Jug. Clark has three top-20 titles in his career — two of which were US Open victories. Aaron Rai’s best finish in a major before winning a PGA Championship was a T19.

Sometimes, information is not always what it is cracked up to be. Getting out and catching time is very important, and Burns has yet to follow.

Of those players in the top 20 of the Official World Golf Rankings, he has the longest winless streak dating back to the 2023 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, which is no more.

A delicate balance. Burns plays consistent golf, but always proves it’s not enough.

Xander Schauffele was bombarded with questions about whether he would change anything in his game in 2024 following close calls, and he said no. Schauffele noted that it was the best he had ever played, and that he would not be advised to overthink anything. He was rewarded for his patience with two major titles that season.

Where Burns goes from here will be interesting. In particular, he is a great master of waiting. At times, he has hit the necessary shots. Sometimes, he got a bad break. Sometimes he failed to grasp the time that was set in front of him.

At this point in time, he is playing the best golf of his career. No question.

The same can be said for many, however, throughout the long life of professional golf. Rickie Fowler, Lee Westwood, Colin Montgomerie and Doug Sanders were all major champions in waiting, too. And that’s to name a few standout players.

“Ultimately, whatever happens, I know I can accept the outcome, and life will go on,” Burns said Saturday evening. “I’m going to go home and see my family. I hope I’ll take the hardware with me, but if I don’t, that’s fine, too.”

Heat will continue to knock on the door of golf immortality. He is very talented and insists that he does not always run for office. Whether there is an answer on the other side, however, is not guaranteed. That’s what makes weeks like this at The Open so rare. Opportunities one must seize and weeks one must overcome to earn one’s place in history.