Overview
- Burns’ daughter Belle was born on July 3, which freed him to make the trip to the 2026 Open Championship in England.
- He had planned to skip the Open because his wife’s due date was July 14, but his wife encouraged him to go and his parents stayed home to care for the newborn.
- Burns sought advice from friend Scottie Scheffler before deciding to compete and arrived in Southport the Monday before the event.
- He played nine-hole practice rounds each day, including the back nine with Scheffler, and was scheduled to tee off at 2:31 p.m. local time in the first round.
- Coming off a runner-up finish at the U.S. Open, Burns said he hadn’t swung for several days after the birth but felt ready to compete at one of golf’s four majors.