The big move came from the guy in the fourth-to-last pairing. Burns started the day seven strokes back and had designs of putting together an Arnold Palmer- or Johnny Miller-type Sunday; guys who shot 65 (1960) and 63 (1973), respectively, to win U.S. Open titles coming from behind. Palmer was seven back at Cherry Hills and Miller six behind at Oakmont. The Louisianan, who held the 54-hole lead a year ago at Oakmont (T-7), was in the role of chaser this Sunday and when he birdied four of his first eight holes, a 63 or 64 seemed possible. In 2018, Tommy Fleetwood carded a final-round 63, only to come up one short of Koepka.
A bogey on 9 derailed Burns’ momentum, and although he had great chances on the back nine to add more birdies to his card, he only made one, an 18-footer at the par-5 16th. He knocked his tee shot on the par-3 17th to 10 feet but was tentative with the stroke and missed. He then had another opportunity for birdie at 18, only to barely miss the 17-footer, giving Burns his third consecutive top-10 finish. He tied for ninth in 2024 at Pinehurst.
“I knew it was going to take something really special, and I think I couldn’t have asked for a better start,” said Burns, still seeking his first major title. Four under through eight. Just mis-hit the 6-iron on 9 a little and came up short there.
“Then I feel like the back nine was playing difficult. I don’t know if the statistics back that up or not, but just trying to get the ball close to some of those hole locations with the wind just felt tough.”
Speaking of tough, it was a rough 2025 for Clark, who struggled handling his emotions when his play wasn’t up to his standards. That included an unfortunate incident at Oakmont for which he has apologized profusely, and he has worked hard to repair the damage it caused to him and those close to him.
Sunday’s final round proved his mental toughness, especially with fans openly rooting against him. Even Scheffler spoke about the unfortunate noise emanating from the gallery.
“I mean, the crowd was tough today,” he said. “Being in the arena is not for everybody, and I think it shows a lot about Wyndham, how he handled not only this golf course but the crowd today as well and is a well-deserving champion.”
New York crowds can sometimes be rough, yet Clark routinely overcame any adversity.
“They definitely didn’t want me to win,” said Clark of the fans. “It’s pretty rare in an Open championship or a major to have fans kind of boo against your shots or cheer for bad shots.
“That was tough, but … sometimes being the underdog is nice. I was [one] in ’23, and I kind of did the same thing. Anytime someone said something negative to me, I replaced it with something positive. You know, some of it is self-deserved. I kind of brought it on myself, but I also get it, too. Scottie was going for the career Grand Slam, and it hasn’t happened very often. I’m proud of myself that I battled through.”
celebrated with caddie David Pelakoudis, his support group that includes mental coach Julie Elion and girlfriend Emily Tanner, and his father, Randall, a former professional tennis player who took a red-eye from Denver to New York on Saturday night to surprise his son on Father’s Day. Clark saved the biggest hug for his biggest fan. Many know the story of Wyndham’s mom, Lise, the former Miss New Mexico who succumbed to breast cancer 13 years ago.
That made the post-round celebration even sweeter. After tapping in for the victory, he Ten years later, he won his first U.S. Open. Now he has a second.