The best way to introduce yourself to golf fans is to appear at the top of the leaderboards consistently.
Sam Burns has started doing that in majors, and he has cemented himself as a golfer to watch through big tournaments, as he enters the prime of his career. Burns turned pro in 2017, but he first caught fans’ attention at the 2024 U.S. Open where he finished tied for ninth.
Fans are getting so used to talking about him that they even started a theory that he was related to the great Arnold Palmer. He was a top collegiate player for the LSU Tigers, but his success on the Tour hasn’t translated as easily.
The 2025 U.S. Open was held at Oakmont Country Club outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Leading up to the tournament, it was heralded as one of the toughest courses the golfers would play all year. Burns didn’t get that memo and played very well to begin the tournament. This enamored him with spectators both in person and watching from home.
Here is more on Burns, including his hometown, age and world golf ranking.
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Who is Sam Burns?
Burns is a professional golfer competing on the PGA Tour. He turned pro in October 2017, but had actually qualified for the 2016 U.S. Open before missing the cut. Burns previously competed in the Web.com Tour starting in 2018.
WHAT A ROUND! 🔥
Sam Burns posts a spectacular Friday 65, the best we’ve seen this week. pic.twitter.com/WXbuq9oy2l
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 13, 2025
Is Sam Burns related to Arnold Palmer?
This seems like a random question, but the answer is no. Palmer does have a grandson on the PGA Tour; it just isn’t Burns. Palmer’s grandson is Sam Saunders, who hasn’t yet had the professional success of either Palmer or Burns.
MORE: Who has won the most U.S. Opens in history?
Where is Sam Burns from?
Burns was born in Shreveport, Louisiana on July 23, 1996. He was a three-time state champion in high school at Calvary Baptist Academy.
Sam Burns age
Burns is 28 years old, and his birthday is on July 23, 1996.
Where did Sam Burns go to college?
Burns stayed local for college and went to Louisiana State University. He was named the Division 1 Player of the Year for the 2016-2017 season. As a sophomore, Burns played in 15 tournaments and won four of them.
Sam Burns PGA Tour wins
Burns has five wins on the Tour under his belt. This first win was at the 2021 Valspar Championship. He has also won the 2021 Sanderson Farms Championship, 2022 Valspar Championship, 2022 Charles Schwab Challenge, and the 2023 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.
Sam Burns major timeline
| Tournament | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
| Masters Tournament | – | – | – | – | – | – | CUT | T29 | CUT | T46 |
| U.S. Open | CUT | – | T41 | – | – | CUT | T27 | T32 | T9 | – |
| The Open Championship | – | – | – | – | – | T76 | T42 | CUT | T31 | – |
| PGA Championship | – | – | – | T29 | – | WD | T20 | CUT | CUT | T19 |
Sam Burns WGR
Burns is ranked No. 22 in the world, per the WGR. His best rank was No. 9.
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