Sparked by 'diaper factor,' Sam Burns holds 54-hole lead at The Open 2026

SOUTHPORT, England – Sam Burns went from "zero chance" of playing in the 2026 Open Championship to the 54-hole solo leader thanks to his second child, daughter, Belle, arriving early.

After shooting 5-under 65 at Royal Birkdale on Saturday, he’s one round away from hoisting the Claret Jug and winning his first major title. During his post-round press conference, a reporter asking him if he was familiar with the nappy or diaper factor — the belief that after a golfer has a child it frees them up to play better golf. 

“If I was aware of that, I'd have like eight kids by now, I think,” said Burns, who posted a 54-hole total of 10-under 200. “I was not aware of that. Sounds cool. Yeah, I'm all about it. I think, I've said this to someone earlier, this golf tournament was honestly so far off of my radar and expectations of playing. I mean, Caroline's due date was Tuesday this week. She was like four days late with our son. I just didn't think there was any possible way, and little Belle had different plans for us.”

Even after Belle was born, Burns said he didn’t give much thought about leaving to come play the final men's major of the season until his wife, Caroline, broached the subject.

“I was like, 'I don't know, should we talk about it?' She was like, 'Yeah,'” Burns said. “Ultimately, she's the one that really encouraged me to come over and play. She basically said I've got this at home. Go over there and give it your best, and here we are.”

Good thing she gave him the push he needed to make the trip across the pond and strike while the iron is hot. Burns finished runner-up at the U.S. Open last month, missing a birdie putt at the last that would've forced a playoff with Wyndham Clark. Despite being winless in more than three years, his game has been trending. But he bogeyed the last three holes on Thursday to shoot 3-over 73.

Burns was furious with himself and said that was "an understatement." He called home and Caroline delivered the pep talk that turned his frown upside down: Be where your feet are, she said. 

“I think that was really what I needed to hear in that moment,” he said. “It's probably what I didn't want to hear, but I needed to hear it. Came out Friday and had nothing to lose.”

On Friday, Burns finished with a flourish, including holing out at 18 from a greenside bunker to shoot 62 and tie the lowest 18-hole score in major championship history. Then on Saturday, he got off to a hot start, hitting a wedge close at 2 and a 4-iron to 15 feet at the fourth. He posted a bogey-free 65 to build a two-stroke lead over Ryan Fox and Si Woo Kim.

Burns has had his chances at other majors besides the U.S. Open last month and mostly has fizzled in the big moment. But he predicted that he has learned from past failure not to be so aggressive and also has received a few tips from a certain pal named Scottie Scheffler, who happens to be world No. 1 and a four-time major winner.

“Someone's going to go out and play a great round of golf tomorrow, maybe a few people. It's pretty much a given. That happens every single week. So, I'm going to have to do the same,” Burns said. “I'm going to have to go out and execute. Ultimately whatever happens, I know that I can accept the outcome, and life's going to move on. I'll get to go home and see my family. I hope I'm taking some hardware with me, but if I'm not, that's fine too.”

Adam Schupak is a senior writer for Golfweek, covering the PGA Tour.

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Sparked by 'diaper factor,' Sam Burns holds 54-hole lead at The Open 2026