"Sam Burns was robbed"; "USGA just screwed him big time" – Fans react to 5x PGA Tour winner being denied relief at the US Open 2025
Sam Burns was tied in a three-way lead heading into the 15th hole at the Oakmont Country Club on Sunday. However, a poor lie not only cost him a few strokes but also the 2025 US Open title.
With many parts of the course drenched by the heavy rains, the American's golf ball was perceived to have come to rest in casual water on the fairway of the par-4 15th hole. Burns requested a rules official to grant him relief but was denied.
Convinced that his ball qualified for free relief, he appealed to another official to be dismissed once again. This forced Burns to play his shot from an abnormal lie, which not only resulted in a double bogey but also cost him the lead at the 2025 US Open.
Here's a look at the conditions on Oakmont's 15th hole (via X @NUCLRGolf):
One fan expressed his disappointment in the officials' ruling in NUCLR Golf's comment section. Stating that Burns deserved relief according to USGA rule 16, the fan wrote (via X @scifisomo):
"Burns was robbed. Terrible call @USGA."
The US Open is operated by the United States Golf Association (USGA), which is the governing body of the sport. A fan deemed the ruling unfair and wishes to receive an explanation from the organization. The comment read (via X @CraigBeam1):
"This was a terrible ruling. Waiting to hear USGA's explanation. A few feet away was reasonable."
However, one golf enthusiast claims that the USGA will not provide an explanation for their ruling over Sam Burns.
"I promise you Sam deserved relief and you will never get and explanation from the @USGA why he did not get one," stated the fan.
Here are a few other fans' reactions to the USGA denying Sam Burns free relief from casual water on the 15th hole (via X @NUCLRGolf):
"Terrible ruling! You could see the water around his feet when he swung AND the amount of water when he made contact," claimed a fan.
An X user commented, "What a joke, could have cost him the trophy."
"It was a dumb ruling that obviously affected his shot and play after that. It almost seems the USGA wants to make it hard to the point of being unfair," stated a golf enthusiast.
The double bogey on the 15th hole resulted in Sam Burns losing confidence. As a result, he went on to bogey two of his last three holes to tie for seventh place with Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler.
Several fans rooted for Sam Burns to win the 2025 US Open after he lost to Ryan Fox in a playoff at the RBC Canadian Open last week.
Sam Burns speaks out on USGA ruling
During a post-tournament press conference, Sam Burns was asked to explain what he saw when he walked up to his ball on the Oakmont Country Club's 15th hole fairway. The five-time PGA Tour winner said (via ASAP Sports):
"Yeah, that fairway slopes left to right. That's kind of the low part of the fairway there. When I walked into it, clearly you could see water coming up. Took practice swings and it's just water splashing every single time. Called a rules official over, they disagreed. I looked at it again. I thought maybe I should get a second opinion. That rules official also disagreed. At the end of the day, it's not up to me, it's up to the rules official. That's kind of that."
Sam Burns’ top 10 finish at the Major championship earned him a paycheck worth $614,423 for a 72-hole score of 4 over par. He will take on the TPC River Highlands next week for the 2025 Travelers Championship.