Like any savvy patient who gets a bad diagnosis, Sam Burns wanted a second opinion. When his drive on Oakmont’s par-4 15th hole stayed on the fairway next to the first cut, he seemed to catch a good break. But when Burns arrived at the ball, it looked and felt to him that it was sitting in standing water from the day’s earlier heavy rain storm.

When Sam Burns stood over his tee shot on the 15th hole in the final round of the U.S. Open, he was in a tie for the lead. When he walked off the green, he was two shots back and essentially out of contention. What transpired in between is a questionable ruling that very much led to the double bogey Burns carded on the hole.

Burns was twice denied relief from perceived temporary water on the 15th hole Sunday at Oakmont before double-bogeying the hole and losing the U.S. Open by five shots.

Sam Burns entered the final round of the 2025 U.S. Open in the lead, and it appeared he might be the only player to survive Oakmont. That was not the case.

It just showed a clever bit of awareness and foresight. In the heat of the pressure and the pouring rain, Burns stopped himself from making a potentially very costly error. It was a small moment, but the kind of decision that wins U.S. Opens.

Sam Burns Plummets From Top Spot, Finishes T6

If Scottie Scheffler doesn’t claim US Open glory today, you can bet he’s only rooting for one other guy. Scheffler became a three-time major champion at the PGA Championship last month but has

U.S. Open leader Sam Burns began his third round on Saturday at a soggy and steamy Oakmont Country Club where Rory McIlroy fell further off the pace and Scottie Scheffler was struggling to get back into the mix.