Did the rules officials ruin Sam Burns’ chance of winning the US Open?

Oakmont was wet in 2025, and some might argue the final round of the US Open crossed the line of unfair and unplayable.

Some would also say that both of those words describe the lie Sam Burns had in the 15th fairway, in the thick of contention at America’s national championship on Sunday.

His ball appeared surrounded by temporary water, with visible splashes with each practice swing. But two rules officials agreed that he wasn’t entitled to relief. Rule 16.1 provides the details on this.

Burns, who led for a chunk of the final round having led overnight, splashed out with a 5-iron and made a double-bogey, beginning a downward spiral to a 78 and finished five shots behind the winner J.J. Spaun.

Members of the Sky Sports broadcast team felt this was wrong and Burns was entitled to free relief. Some golf fans online felt the same, and afterwards, Burns’ playing partner Adam Scott described conditions as ‘borderline unplayable’.

However, this was 100% the correct call from the officials, and here is why.

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Sam Burns US Open ruling was controversial, but was it right?

Oakmont Country Club took on so much water for this US Open, and that was well before the monsoon that virtually flooded the place during the final round.

After a rain delay of an hour and 40 minutes, competitors and spectators returned to the terrain of the last 11 holes of the event, now resembling a scene from the alligator-infested Florida Everglades.

When players found the fairways and took aim with their next shots, divots the size of dinner plates were flying from the ground.

No one is denying there was water on the fairways, but the rules describe temporary water as “any temporary accumulation of water on the surface of the ground (such as puddles from rain or irrigation or an overflow from a body of water)”.

The rules also say it needs to be seen “before or after the player takes a stance (without pressing down excessively with their feet)”. This part is interesting and vital to what temporary water actually is.

US reporter Kyle Porter went back to the spot where Burns hit from, and filmed himself pressing his foot into the turf, and water was bursting out.

As insightful as this footage was, the rules eliminate the pressure factor that is applied to the ground.

The definition in the rules goes on to say: “It is not enough for the ground to be merely wet, muddy or soft or for the water to be momentarily visible as the player steps on the ground; an accumulation of water must remain present either before or after the stance is taken.”

So, those are the rules that officials use, and can explain why Burns didn’t get the rub of the green.

The footage and images of the turf, plus the explosion of H2O that came from the ground when Burns hit, made for brutal viewing, and the five-time PGA Tour winner could’ve felt aggrieved.

For the record, Burns accepted the ruling and got on with the round:

“That fairway slopes left to right. That’s 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.”

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