Professional golfer Sam Burns didn’t expect to be on the course, competing in the 2026 Open Championship, leading up to — and certainly after — his wife gave birth to their baby girl.
“I was expecting to be at home,” Sam, 29, told PGATour.com on Wednesday, July 15, noting Caroline’s due date was one day prior.
Caroline ultimately gave birth to baby No. 2, daughter Belle, on July 3. (The couple, who have been married since 2019, are also parents of 2-year-old son Bear.)
After Belle’s arrival, Sam planned to sit out of the PGA tournament to help his wife recover as they settle into their new life as parents of two. Instead, Caroline persuaded the athlete to make the trip while she stayed home with their kids and her parents.
“I still wasn’t sure if I could get there mentally,” Sam acknowledged on Wednesday. “It’s just a weird dynamic of having a new baby, and you want to be there for them and your family. I think it was ultimately my decision of, ‘Could I get there from a mental standpoint of having to leave?’”
In fact, Sam quipped that he didn’t even swing a club for four days after Belle’s birth but assured reporters that he wasn’t rusty.
“We only get four of these [majors] a year,” Sam stated. “If it was a different event, I probably wouldn’t be here.”
While speaking to CBS reporters later that day, Sam admitted that he thought there was “zero percent chance” he’d be able to make the competition.
“Brett, my agent, was like, ‘I’m just going to sign you up, just in case,’” he recalled in a press conference. “I was like, ‘You can, but [I’m] probably not gonna be able to play. Then, we ended up having [Belle] on the 3rd, and even then I still wasn’t expecting to play by any means.”
Sam further stressed that he only changed his mind after multiple conversations with Caroline.
“She’s just amazing, superhero,” he gushed of his wife. “If it wasn’t for that, I wouldn’t be here.”
Sam and Caroline’s plans appeared to be paying off. The pro golfer sat in first position going into the rounds on Sunday, July 19, though his family remained top of mind.
“My wife’s maiden name is Campbell, and we always loved that name and wanted to try to do something with it,” Sam told reporters on Saturday, July 18, revealing how they picked a name for their baby girl. “That’s kind of where we got it from. … Obviously, it’s not that similar, but [it is inspired by] the Campbell part.”
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