U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP 2026

June 21, 2026

Sam Burns

Shinnecock Hills Golf Club

Flash Interview

THE MODERATOR: Sam Burns, a 3-under 67. Sam, it looks like you're going to come up just short here, obviously. What are going to be your takeaways from the week?

SAM BURNS: Yeah, thanks for the reminder. I think to start the day seven shots back, I knew it was going to take something really special, and I think I couldn't have asked for a better start. 4-under through eight. Just mis-hit the 6-iron on 9 a little and came up short there.

Then I feel like the back nine was playing difficult. I don't know if the statistics back that up or not, but just trying to get the ball close to some of those hole locations with the wind just felt tough.

You know, once I three-putted 15, I felt like I needed at least one or two on the last three holes. I holed the put on 16, which was nice, and then hit a really good shot in there on 17 and just a terrible read and not a very good putt.

Then to have the chance on 18, I really thought I made that putt. I hit it exactly how I wanted with the speed I wanted and just didn't go in, but really proud of the way we played today.

I think to start the day, I really wanted to try to get to 4 or 5. I thought that would take -- I thought that's what it would take.

You know, to Wyndham's credit, he played amazing all week. That was really impressive golf that he played the first three rounds. Even today, I mean, I know he shot, whatever, a couple over par, but it was playing really difficult this afternoon. You know, he did the right things when he needed to. He's a well-deserved champion.

Q. Sam, you entered the day in a chasing position and obviously had a chance to win by the end. Can you talk about how that dynamic shifted throughout the day? When did you feel like you were no longer chasing? Did you feel like the pressure was ratcheting up, and when did that kind of set in?

SAM BURNS: Yeah, I think I felt like I was chasing all day. I would get within maybe one or two, and then, you know, the three-putt on 15. I felt like the putt I hit kind of when it got down to the hole kind of went a little right past the hole. On the way back I thought it would be pretty straight, and it went to the right.

I think that happens on these greens late in the day. The surfaces get tough to hole putts on when they get crusty and had traffic. But I think, you know, overall I feel like the round that I played was a really good round of golf. It's unfortunate I just came up one short.

I think the USGA did an amazing job this week on their setup. I'm very critical of the USGA, but I think they really did a good job this week in how they set this golf course up.

Q. How do you compare the emotions you're feeling today to how you felt last year Sunday at Oakmont?

SAM BURNS: I would say last year at Oakmont I felt more I lost the golf tournament. I certainly don't feel that way today.

I think I did my best, and I did everything I could to have a chance to win today. Like I said, I started the day seven shots back. That's very difficult to overcome, especially someone who is playing as well as Wyndham has been playing. That was really the difference today.

If I would have been a little bit closer and maybe could have got ahead of him at some point, I think there could have been a different outcome possibly, but at the end of the day, he played amazing, and it was his week. You got to tip your cap to him.

Q. Sam, I saw your dad over there with you as you were hitting balls on the range. What was the first thing he said to you after you came off the golf course?

SAM BURNS: Yeah, he just said he was really proud. Sorry (tearing up). Just said he was proud, and I think -- I think we both knew how special it could have been for Father's Day, but I know he's proud.

Q. I was just going to ask you, you can obviously see the emotion that this is bringing to you. Can you just describe where that's coming from and how badly you really want this?

SAM BURNS: Yeah, I mean, I think it's one of the reasons we work so hard and practice as hard as we do to have chances at winning golf tournaments. It's just not very often we have a chance to win a major on a Father's Day.

I think just the weight of that and knowing what that memory could have been like, it would have been really special.

Q. Then for you as a father as well, I guess what has changed over the last couple of years of being a father and having to play out here on tour and everything that comes with that?

SAM BURNS: Yeah, for sure. I think it's a crazy life we live sometimes. Bear is 2 now, and we show up, and he'll say, Is this Bear's new house? We'll say, kind of, it's your new house for the week. We get a courtesy car; he'll say, Bear's new car? We'll say, Yeah, for the week. We'll have some explaining to do at some point.

Yeah, I think, you know, 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.

Q. As a follow-up to that, while you were watching Wyndham, you came out, played ball with Bear, sat in the car with him, took some things away from him. Why did you decide to do that?

SAM BURNS: I just wanted to hang out, hang out with him. I've been gone all day basically every day this week. They're actually going back home tonight. My wife's 37 weeks now, so they're going to go back home. I know I'm not going to get to see him for a week, which will be terrible. So just tried to get a few more extra minutes in.

Q. Sam, can you just tell us a little bit about how your dad impacted your golf journey to this point?

SAM BURNS: Yeah, I mean, that's kind of how I got into it. We were always a football family really. My dad and brother both played college football. I would just kind of go -- they both played golf too, and I would just go out there and run around and mess with them. Mainly I started using a golf club as a weapon against my older brother. He's eight years older. Had to defend myself with something.

Yeah, that's kind of how I got into it. Then one summer my mom -- I always went to a summer camp, and I just asked her, like, hey, instead of going to the summer camp, do you mind just dropping me off in the morning and pick me up at dark? I would way rather do that. She's, like, sure. So I did that.

That's kind of how I fell in love with it. I was fortunate to grow up with some kids that were much better players than me, and I hated losing to them. That's kind of how I just naturally fell in love with the game.

But my parents never pushed me to practice, never pushed me to play tournaments, never told me I needed to go work on something. They just kind of allowed me to follow my dreams and let me figure out why I love the game on my own.

Q. Sam, this course is notorious for having winners over par here. We have three under par. Is there any pride, even though it was a little short today, in showing up like you did at Shinnecock for a U.S. Open?

SAM BURNS: Well, I think with the forecast that we were projected to have on Thursday, like I said a minute ago, I think the USGA did a good job with that. I really think the fog delay is what kind of made a pretty big difference there. I don't think people realized for some of those guys to have the last three hours of daylight when the wind really died down and you have soft conditions, whether it's Shinnecock or it doesn't matter, guys are going to make a bunch of birdies. I think that three-hour window really made a difference.

I would think that the statistics probably back that up. I don't know that to be true, but I think that was a nice break for those guys in that wave.

Then Saturday morning typically at a U.S. Open you've kind of made the cut on the number. Especially here you've seen guys make the cut on the number and go out, play early Saturday, and shoot a couple under par. Next thing you know they're in the top 10.

With the wind they got Saturday morning, you didn't really see that as much. So it was definitely a weird weather week.

I thought the USGA did a proper job in handling all those different conditions that we had. Ultimately, I think the guy who played the best won.