Sam Burns, the current favorite to win The Open Championship, almost withdrew from the tournament due to the imminent birth of his second child. Burns, who holds a two-shot lead heading into the final round at Royal Birkdale at 10 under par, nearly missed the event as his wife, Caroline, was due to give birth in mid-July.
The couple's second child, Belle, arrived 11 days early, prompting Burns to make a late decision to travel to the tournament. His agent, Brett Falkoff, had secured his place in the field, allowing him to compete.
"It's been crazy, obviously, in a good way," Burns told NBC. "It's obviously crazy when you have a newborn, and I'm sure crazier for my wife not having me there to help. Not that I can do much, but she's a rock star, and thankfully she's such an incredible mom. Ultimately, that's the reason I came over here. She said: 'I've got it under control over here, so you try to go over there and take care of business.'"
Burns had a challenging start to the tournament, sitting three over par after his first round. However, he made a significant comeback with a second-round 62, matching the best-ever round in major championship history. He followed this with a third-round 65, positioning him in contention for the $3.2 million prize.
Despite several near-misses in recent years, Burns has yet to win a major championship. He finished second at this year's U.S. Open, coming up one shot short of a playoff.
"I thought about it for a couple days, and then life goes on," Burns said of his near-withdrawal. "Being able to come play here was a bonus this week. I didn't think there was any possibility. So I'm excited. I think it's a great challenge tomorrow. And ultimately, whatever happens, I can live with the result."