Sam Burns major history, best career finishes and full background

Sam Burns is on the precipice of something special and completely unexpected. The 28-year-old, whose last PGA Tour victory was more than two years ago, enters the final round of the 2025 U.S. Open with a one-stroke lead over second place Adam Scott and J.J. Spaun.

For the final round of golf at Oakmont, Burns will be in the day's final pairing alongside Scott, a battle-tested veteran with a major championship already under his belt. Burns has a few pro victories to his name since his career began in 2016, but his résumé pales in comparison to those chasing him in Sunday's sprint to the finish line.

Let's dive into Burns' career history and what's at stake on Sunday afternoon.

Has Sam Burns ever won the U.S. Open?

Yeah, no. Burns has never won the U.S. Open, nor come particularly close to winning it. He finished tied for ninth in 2024, his best to date, but Burns (E) was six strokes behind the eventual winner, Bryson DeChambeau (-6).

That is Burns' only top-10 finish in a major championship to date. He will look to add his second on Sunday, and ideally reach the mountaintop, becoming the sixth under-30 American golfer to win his major since 2020.

Sam Burns U.S. Open finishes in his career

Burns has been inching toward this for a few years, but nobody expected him to begin the final round in the driver's seat like this. Less than a year ago, Burns wasn't even ranked in the top-50 globally. Now he has a chance to etch his name in the history books and add a U.S. Open victory to his nascent résumé. With so much golf ahead of him in what promises to be a long career, we could look back at this moment as a launching point for Burns, who commands a one-stroke lead (-4) entering Sunday's final round. Adam Scott (-3) and J.J. Spaun (-3) are right on his heels, though. Viktor Hovland (-1) and Carlos Oritz (E) are in the mix, too. He still needs to ace one more test.

Sam Burns' best career major championship finishes

Here are the five best major championship finishes in Sam Burns' career to date.

This in uncharted territory for Burns. He is getting hot at the right moment, climbing the board globally and competing well in several noteworthy tournaments of late. He lost a playoff and finished runner-up in the Canadian Open just a couple weeks ago. If he can parlay his recent success into a U.S. Open title, it changes the conversation around his career — and his future — dramatically.

How many wins does Sam Burns have in his golf career?

While he's still winless in major championships (for now), Burnes does have six professional wins to his name.

Not exactly the most robust list of accomplishments, but Burns is 28 years old and clearly on the upswing of his career. A win on Sunday would launch him to a new echelon of golf stardom.