The unrelenting Oakmont Country Club is every golfer’s worst nightmare. The 2025 US Open is a clear example of this. The third major of the season is proving to be a very difficult one to crack, with just three scores below par at the course after two days of play. On top of the leaderboard with a score of 3 under par, is Sam Burns.

Burns, in fact, registered the lowest score in the competition, carding 65 at the 70-par course en route to a score of 5 under par. In fact, Burns just carded one bogey in total on day 2, a significant decrease from Day 1 when he shot 5 bogeys and a double bogey as well. His six birdies on day 2 were enough to lift him to the top of the table. A few expectant eyes will be on the lookout for whether Burns can clinch his first-ever major title at Oakmont this weekend, with the eyes belonging to Burns’s loving family.

Let’s take a look at the tight-knit support system behind Sam Burns.

The tight-knit Burns family

Sam Burns was born to Todd and Beth Burns on 23 July 1996 in Shreveport, Louisiana. He was their third and youngest child, after older sister Tori and older brother Chase. The PGA Tour pro’s sporting inclination is likely to have come from his dad, Todd Burns, who played football at Louisiana Tech. His older brother Chase also followed in his father’s footsteps and played football at Louisiana Tech. Sam had initially started his sporting interest in football but decided to move to golf.

Sam’s family has been a rock-solid support system while he plied his trade on the PGA Tour. His parents were present at the 2021 Valspar Championship where he claimed his first-ever PGA Tour title.“What did it mean for all of them to be there? To have my parents here, they sacrificed so much for me growing up, taking me to golf tournaments and letting me pursue my dream, really cool.” The Louisiana State University alum stated after his maiden victory.

Beth Burns also took an active role in her child’s journey in the world of golf. The Louisiana resident wrote a “Mom’s Blog” section for Times during Burns’s debut week which detailed the emotional journey of everyone involved in Bunrs’s life when the young golfer made his maiden appearance on the PGA Tour. This was the Valero Texas Open in March 2025. Despite missing the cut after shooting a shocking 89 on day 1, Burns and his family stayed positive and supportive. Beth Burns stated then,” There is always something to learn from any experience you have. What I recognized this week that was awesome was you didn’t lose it. If there was any time to lose it, it would have been this week.”

Beth Burns’s shock at Sam Burns’s change of sport

It is that undying wave of support from his family that has allowed Sam Burns to trudge on in the world of Golf amidst difficulties.  He currently has 5 PGA Tour victories post that fateful two days thanks to his family’s loving and guiding hands. While the support was there from his parents, the initial stages were a bit rocky as he was expected to expend his hours on football.

Sam’s move to golf from football was initially met with disappointment by his mother. “I thought golf was just a phase. I thought it would be just a thing to do in the summer. It just never went away.” She stated. However, once she got to see Sam Burns in action along with other kids and parents who were in a similar pathway, she was much calmer.“I started going on trips with them and meeting the parents and meeting the boys that actually played with him, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, what was I thinking?'” Beth Burns had explained how her thought process evolved after Sam Burns’s decision.

The American golfer is coming off some intense heartbreak after having recently lost the RBC Canadian Open to Ryan Fox via a playoff. A victory at Oakmont can ease the pain from the loss and push him to another level of golf. Can Sam Burns make his parents proud yet again and clinch his first-ever major title at the Oakmont Country Club this year?