Sam Burns made a Sunday charge to come just one shot away from the US Open.
Burns missed a short putt on 17 and a missed a makeable look on 18, finishing his US Open one stroke behind eventual winner Wyndham Clark.
Still, it was an impressive showing from Burns, who had the worst of the conditions through the first two days, and still made a late charge. He faced the wind on Thursday morning, and the firmest greens on Friday afternoon, and still hung in contention.
Speaking after his final round, Burns shared his honest thoughts on the setup at Shinnecock.
Sam Burns said the USGA handled ‘weird’ week at Shinnecock well
Much was made of the USGA’s setup of Shinnecock Hills throughout the event. Because of the wind of Thursday and Saturday, they had to make the greens slow to ensure the golf course was playable. But some thought it was just too easy for a US Open.
In the end only three players finished under par and the winner was four-under, so it proved to be hard enough. Speaking after his US Open, Burns said the USGA did a great job.
The 29-year-old said, “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.
Who are you most disappointed in?
“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.”
Sam Burns explained missed putts to end his US Open
Burns will rue a series of missed putts down the stretch. He three-putted the 15th hole, then missed two good looks on the final two holes to effectively hand the tournament to Clark.
He explained how that happened: “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.”
It was a brilliant effort from Burns on the final day, but he’s beginning to build a reputation as a player who cannot get it done in the clutch. He’ll hope to change that narrative at the next time of asking.
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