Controversial ruling derailed U.S. Open leader: ‘That’s ridiculous’

It was a wet, wild final round of the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont. While J.J. Spaun was able to fight through the rain to win his first major, most other contenders lost the battle with the difficult conditions. None more so than 54-hole leader Sam Burns, who lost his lead for good after a controversial ruling denied him a free drop in a crucial moment late on Sunday, leading to a double bogey.

The primary culprit for Burns’ dilemma was a golf course flooded by torrential downpours that suspended play halfway through the final round.

And Burns wasn’t alone in his displeasure. A prominent TV analyst and one of Burns’ competitors sided with the jilted pro.

Here’s what you need to know.

Late Sunday storms make U.S. Open conditions ‘borderline unplayable’

Late Sunday afternoon at Oakmont, storms that had been threatening play all day began to pummel the course with rain. Water pooled on the greens, and that, along with some lightning in the area, forced a suspension of play at 4:01 p.m. ET.

At the time of the suspension, Burns held a one-shot lead over Adam Scott through seven holes, the same size lead with which he started the day, despite two early bogeys that had dropped his score to two under.

Eventual champion Spaun was four back.

The Oakmont maintenance crew was able to squeegee the greens enough to resume play at 5:37 p.m. ET. But as players headed back to their balls following the lengthy delay, the rain was still falling, and the course was still soaked, with water just underneath the surface of the fairways.

Those conditions led to a preponderance of fat shots and crooked scores. Burns was one of the primary victims.

After alternating bogey and birdie at 9 and 10 following the restart, Burns made a devastating double bogey at the par-4 11th, partially as a result of a wet lie on his approach shot. Another bogey followed at 12.

By the time he reached the par-4 15th, Burns had fallen one shot behind Spaun, but there was plenty of golf left to be played, and bogeys lurking everywhere. Playing in the group ahead, Spaun made bogey at 15. That moved Burns into a four-way tie for the lead with Spaun, Tyrrell Hatton and Robert MacIntyre at one over.

But once he finished 15, Burns’ hopes of capturing his first major title would be dashed.

Burns denied free drop, loses U.S. Open lead

At 15, Burns hit a 297-yard tee shot that just found the right edge of the fairway. Usually, that’s the key to playing well at an Oakmont Open. But the spot where Burns’ ball rested was a low point on the hole, and when he arrived at it, he found a soggy lie with water just beneath the surface of the grass.

When he addressed his ball, he felt that water pooled at his feet. As he attempted to take practice swings, water splashed into the air at impact. At this point, Burns decided to try and get free relief due to standing water.

Rule 16.1 of the Rules of Golf allows players did take a free drop if they encounter “abnormal course conditions,” which they define as “animal holes, ground under repair, immovable obstructions or temporary water.“

Relief is permitted if a player’s ball or stance is impacted by those conditions.

A rules official arrived and the debated the scenario with Burns. But after the discussion, the rules official denied Burns free relief. Burns asked for another rules official to be called in for a second opinion.

Burns waited for the second official and continued to test his watery stance and lie. Once the official arrived, he and Burns discussed the lie.

But Burns was denied a free drop for a second time.

Clearly frustrated, he played away, caught his shot fat and watched in disgust as his ball found thick rough short and left of the green.

TV microphones caught the frustrated pro’s reaction to the shot.

“That’s ridiculous,” Burns said.

A double bogey followed, moving Burns to three over and dropping him out of contention for good.

After the round, Burns was diplomatic when asked about the incident from reporters.

“That’s kind of the low part of the fairway there,” he said. “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.”

He continued: “From that point, [caddie Travis Perkins] and I said, ‘Look let’s focus on the shot, try to execute.’ I did the best I could. I was 100 percent locked in on what I was trying to do. Ultimately, it felt like the water just kind of got in the way, and I went left. It is what it is.”

Burns also demonstrated a solid perspective on his week, despite suffering several bad breaks on Sunday, including hitting into divots on 11 and 14.

“I went out there and gave it the best I had. Golf’s a hard game, especially on this golf course,” Burns said. “At the end of the day, I can hold my head high.”

Adam Scott calls U.S. Open conditions ‘borderline unplayable’

Burns’ playing partner on Sunday was Scott, the 2013 Masters champion, who started the day one behind the leader.

Like Burns, Scott was already two over on his round when play was suspended Sunday, but one shot off the lead. Also like Burns, Scott struggled far more after the restart, making five bogeys and a double bogey to shoot a 79 and fall to T12.

After his round, Scott talked about the treacherous conditions everyone faced after the storms rolled through the property.

“Once the fairways were soaked, it was very hard controlling the golf ball,” Scott said. “I think the course just couldn’t take much more water really.”

He also complained of the “sloppy” conditions following the restart.

“It was just so sloppy the rest of the way. Sam [Burns], we must have looked horrible, both of us playing like that. But that’s what can happen in these things. If you get a little off, you’re just severely punished,” Scott said.

When asked about the controversial Burns ruling, Scott said he had thought about asking for temporary water relief as well, and he called the conditions “borderline unplayable.”

“I was thinking of asking as well; it was borderline unplayable,” Scott said. “The water was like so close to the surface. Like the shot I hit on 11, it’s bizarre. I just don’t know. It was like an aquaplane on the ground. [Burns] tried to hit a 5-iron, I guess, on the 15th, and it’s tough. It’s a tough call, but we played. Everyone had to deal with it.”

When Burns had putted out on 18 for a final-round 78 that left him T7, NBC analyst Brad Faxon voiced his strong disagreement with the rules officials’ decision to deny Burns a drop.

Faxon said Burns “got maybe one of the worst breaks not being able to move that ball on 15. He should have been able to take relief from there. That’s a bad call.”

In the end, both Burns and Scott acknowledged that every competitor had to deal with the same poor conditions coming down the stretch. Spaun was certainly not immune to bad breaks on Sunday, though most of his came earlier in the round.

But after the restart, it was Spaun who performed the best under the worst conditions, and in doing so earned the trophy and the massive winner’s check.

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