Sam Burns has a lot riding on his final round at Oakmont. A first major victory, for starters, but also a first victory of any kind since the final iteration of the WGC-Dell Match Play back in 2023. He doesn’t need any more pressure but allow us to add just a tiny bit more.
If Burns does hold on at Oakmont, he would become the first player in OVER A DECADE to lose in a playoff and then win a major the following week. The last player to do it? The Master of Disaster himself, Jordan Spieth.
Sam Burns lost a playoff last week at the RBC Canadian Open.
The last player to lose a playoff on the PGA Tour then win a major the following week was Jordan Spieth at the 2015 Masters.
— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGolf) June 15, 2025
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Last week, Burns lost in a playoff at the RBC Canadian Open to Ryan Fox. It was a tough blow for the five-time tour winner, but he now stands on the verge of an historic bounce back. It won’t be easy, though.
Judging by the rarity of the feat, it’s extremely difficult for pros to pick themselves up, dust themselves off and go again at a major after the gut-wrenching nature of a playoff loss. Spieth tamed those emotions at the 2015 Masters after losing in a playoff at the Shell Open the previous week, but he thrives on extremes. In the world of professional golf, that makes him something of a unicorn.
Can Burns survive the emotional rollercoaster down the stretch at Oakmont on Sunday like Spieth did a decade ago at Augusta? We’ll just have to wait and see, but if he does, victory will taste that much sweeter for the Shreveport kid.
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This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
