Sam Burns lets Open lead slip as Ryan Fox grabs Claret Jug
Burns began Sunday at Royal Birkdale two shots clear, but another major chance got away as Ryan Fox surged to win The Open.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
Sam Burns had the 2026 Open in his hands after 54 holes at Royal Birkdale. By Sunday evening, he was shaking hands with Ryan Fox as the New Zealander took the Claret Jug.
According to CBS Sports, Burns, 29, carried a two-shot lead into the final round and played alongside Fox in the last pairing. Burns had reached 10 under after Saturday’s round and improved by one more shot after the second hole on Sunday, but his position slipped away before the finish.
Fox, who began the day two behind Burns, won The Open with what CBS Sports described as an up-and-down final round and a strong finish at the 72nd hole.
Another major chance gets away
Burns’ latest near miss adds to a run of major contention that has made him one of golf’s most watched players without one of its four biggest trophies.
CBS Sports reported that since the start of the 2024 season, Burns has given himself five serious chances in majors. That stretch includes a final-round 80 at Royal Troon in 2024, a 54-hole lead at Oakmont before fading, and a push at the 2026 U.S. Open that ended with missed birdie chances on the final two holes after a closing 67.
At Augusta National in 2026, CBS Sports said Burns kept himself in the Masters mix throughout the tournament. At the U.S. Open, he tried to chase down Wyndham Clark after starting the final round seven shots behind.
The Open looked like another step toward a breakthrough. Instead, Burns left Royal Birkdale with another major Sunday that got away.
Scheffler says Burns keeps putting himself there
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler spoke earlier in the week about Burns’ growing presence near the top of major leaderboards, according to CBS Sports.
“He's someone I spend so much time around. I know how good he is,” Scheffler said. “Sometimes, you just need to continue to build that experience and put yourself in the positions.”
Scheffler pointed to Burns’ recent U.S. Open runs and said the American has played “a lot of really good golf in a lot of the biggest tournaments.” He added that Burns has been part of recent Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams and has “a ton of talent.”
“For me, it's just a matter of time until he gets it done in one of these,” Scheffler said.
Burns keeps perspective
Burns also addressed the stakes after Saturday’s round, before the final-day slide.
“Ultimately, whatever happens, I know that I can accept the outcome, and life's going to move on,” Burns said, according to CBS Sports. “I'll get to go home and see my family. I hope I'm taking some hardware with me, but if I'm not, that's fine, too.”
CBS Sports noted that Burns remains winless since the 2023 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, the longest drought among players inside the top 20 of the Official World Golf Rankings.
Fox’s win also fit a recent pattern cited by CBS Sports: recent major winners have not all arrived with a long list of major close calls. Fox had not previously finished inside the top 10 at a major before winning The Open, while Wyndham Clark and Aaron Rai also broke through without deep major résumés.
Burns now has the experience, the form and the repeated chances. What he does not yet have is the major trophy.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.