SOUTHAMPTON, NY – Sam Burns’ fate can wait. Because Bear Burns couldn’t.
Could daddy play ball?
Years ago, Sam had asked his father, and on Sunday, Sam was able, just moments after dancing around Shinnecock Hills Golf Club defense in a way that embodied Jalen Brunsonwho had just won an NBA title for the local Knicks, and whose jersey no. 11-blue-orange could be seen throughout the crowd. After starting it US Open final round seven shots off the lead, burn finished 72 holes under one, and the leader, Wyndham Clarkeon the 16th hole. Shortly after 6 p.m., Burns walked about 100 yards from the clubhouse to a player support building and began watching the NBC broadcast.
At 6:23, he came out again. Bear, his 2-year-old son, had found one of the white rubber balls that kids use for autographs and, on Father’s Day, dad and son played with it while sitting in a golf cart.
“I think it’s a crazy life we live sometimes,” Sam said later.
“Bear is 2 years old now, and we show up (at a tour) and he’ll say, ‘Is this Bear’s new home?’ We’ll say, ‘Anyway, it’s your new home for the week.’ We get a courtesy car; he’ll say, “Bear’s new car?” We’ll say, ‘Yes, for the week.’ We’ll have some explaining to do in a moment.
“Yeah, I think, you know, as a competitor, you want to go out there and compete as much as you can and try to win, but at the end of the day, when you’re off the golf course, it’s not really that important and family is a lot more important than golf.”
Clark was 16 years old. He was two years old. Father and son turned to look, the Bear ran ahead of him.
Clark was 17 years old. He was a year old. On the 18th, Clark hit his tee shot a few feet to the right side. At 6:34, Burns got out again and went to the nearby range. To his left was a large color monitor showing what was unfolding.
Todd Burns was there, zipping around Shinnecock this week on a scooter after recently tearing his left meniscus, and he had been there for his son’s golf initiation. The Burnses, Sam said, were always a football family — Todd and another son, Chase, both played in college — but they were also golfers. “I would just go out there and run and mess with them,” Sam said. “I mainly started using the golf club as a weapon against my older brother. He’s eight years older, I had to defend myself with something.
“Yeah, that’s how I got into it.”
At 6:38, Burns had his shot blocked while Clark hit his second at the 18. Did anyone see this coming? The previous largest 54-hole US Open deficit overcome was also seven, in 1960. But Burns made 1. Then 3. Then 5. Then 8, which tied him for the lead. On 18, he had a 17-foot birdie putt that would have tied Clark again, but it went over the right side of the hole and Burns fell to his knees. “To have the opportunity on 18,” he said, “I really thought I made that putt. I hit it exactly how I wanted to with the speed I wanted and it just didn’t go in.”
Clark’s second shot fell 52 yards from the hole. The burns continued to strike.
At 6:44, Clark hit his goal to 9 inches. Burns didn’t look at the rest. He put an iron back in his bag and took off his golf grip.
He went to his father, who was standing. They shook hands and Todd put his arm around his son’s shoulder. He whispered a sentence to her.
“Yeah, he just said he was really proud,” Burns said.
He started to tear up.
“I’m sorry.”
He continued.
“He just said he was proud and I think — I think we both knew how special it could be for Father’s Day, but I know he’s proud.”
A year ago at the US Open at Oakmont Country Club, Burns had held the lead through 54 holesbut stumbled to a Sunday 78. That, he said, was a loss. This was not. On Sunday, only two players shot better than that 67. “I think I did my best and did everything I could to have a chance to win today,” Burns said. “Like I said, I started the day seven shots back. That’s very hard to overcome, especially someone playing as well as Wyndham has been playing. That was really the difference today.”
Burns made his way to interviews, then stopped.
He hugged his wife, Caroline, who he said is 37 weeks pregnant.
And the Bear.
“I think that’s one of the reasons why we work as hard and practice as much as we do, to have a chance to win golf tournaments,” Burns said. “It’s just not very often that we get a chance to win a degree on Father’s Day.
“I think just the weight of that and knowing what that memory could be like, it would have been really special.”
;)
