Sam Burns opened up about Scottie Scheffler after wrapping up his third round at the US Open on Saturday.
Burns and World No. 1 Scheffler have been close friends for years, and while Scheffler has been the standout player in recent seasons, this weekend could be Burns’ moment in the spotlight.
Burns heads into Sunday’s final round with a one-shot lead over J.J. Spaun and Adam Scott, looking to capture his first major title.
U.S. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley has already praised Burns’ performance this week, noting how sharp he looked early in the tournament.
The Shreveport, Louisiana native is now just 18 holes away from a career-defining victory – but Scheffler, never one to fade quietly, will still be chasing him down on Sunday.
Sam Burns on Scottie Scheffler after day three
Burns has long spoken highly of Scheffler, offering praise during the PGA Championship in May, and that respect clearly goes both ways. Earlier this week, Scheffler had kind words for Burns after his strong start at Oakmont.
After his third round, Burns was asked if watching Scheffler’s recent dominance had been tough to handle:
“Yeah, Scottie’s obviously an incredible player. I don’t think I need to say that (laughing). But I think we obviously spend a lot of time together and being able to talk to him and just kind of learn from him and ask him questions, it’s been really cool.
“As good of a player as he is, he’s a better guy, and I think that’s what makes it really special to watch, because you want to root for somebody like that. So he’s an easy guy to root for. He happens to be also the best player in the world. But, yeah, it’s been nice to kind of pick his brain and ask him certain things.”
Burns was also asked if he ever wishes he’d achieved the same level of success as Scheffler:
“Yeah, of course. I think as a competitor that’s why we show up to play. We show up to play to win. Watching him do that and watching him have success, it brings me a lot of joy, and him and his wife Meredith and Bennett, they’re just an unbelievable family, and it’s been such a joy to watch how they steward that success to others around them, and just the amount of respect that we have for them is very high.”
Burns’ comments highlight not just Scheffler’s talent, but also the respect he commands off the course.
- READ MORE: Denny McCarthy shares players’ honest reactions after grinding through Oakmont at the 2025 U.S. Open
What the numbers say about Burns vs Scheffler in 2025
On the PGA Tour in 2025, no one draws more attention than Scheffler, while Burns remains around the top 30. But at Oakmont, the man from Shreveport found another gear.
| PGA Tour stats | Scheffler | Burns |
| Strokes gained off the tee | 1st | 80th |
| Strokes gained approach | 1st | 149th |
| Strokes gained scrambling | 2nd | 109th |
| Strokes gained putting | 25th | 1st |
| Strokes gained total | 1st | 24th |
Those numbers show just how dominant Scheffler has been. His edge is clear across nearly every category, except putting, where Burns leads the tour in 2025.
Yet at the US Open, it’s Burns who has the upper hand through three rounds, ranking first in strokes gained approach and second in scrambling for the week. If he maintains that level of play on Sunday, Oakmont could deliver a new champion – and perhaps flip the narrative, if only for a day.
The post Sam Burns shares thoughts on Scottie Scheffler after third round at US Open appeared first on HITC.
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