{"id":52352,"date":"2026-08-25T09:27:02","date_gmt":"2026-08-25T13:27:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/?p=52352"},"modified":"2026-08-25T09:27:02","modified_gmt":"2026-08-25T13:27:02","slug":"golf-star-sam-burns-reveals-what-matters-more-than-winning-faith-family-and-country","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2026\/08\/golf-star-sam-burns-reveals-what-matters-more-than-winning-faith-family-and-country.html","title":{"rendered":"Golf Star Sam Burns Reveals What Matters More Than Winning: Faith, Family and Country"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Marco Iacobucci Epp \/ Shutterstock.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Golf star Sam Burns has built an impressive career competing against the best players in the world. But the five-time PGA Tour winner says his identity and priorities extend far beyond the golf course.<\/p>\n

Burns, 30, officially secured an automatic spot on the U.S. Presidents Cup team Sunday, marking his third appearance in the event and his fifth consecutive time representing Team USA across the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup.<\/p>\n

For Burns, wearing the red, white and blue carries a significance that goes beyond golf.<\/p>\n

“It is such an honor for me to be able to represent your country and also play for ultimately something a lot bigger than yourself,” Burns told OutKick. “And you have teammates that week that you’re playing for and their families.”<\/p>\n

This year’s Presidents Cup will be particularly meaningful because Burns’ 2-year-old son, Bear, will be there to experience it. Burns and his wife, Caroline, welcomed Bear in April 2024, and their daughter, Belle, was born on July 3.<\/p>\n

“Bear this year, he’ll be around the team and get to hang out and really enjoy it,” Burns said.<\/p>\n

Fatherhood has also given Burns a new perspective on patience and what his children really need from him.<\/p>\n

“I think you don’t realize how impatient you are until you have kids,” he said.<\/p>\n

Burns admitted that the demands of parenting can sometimes feel inconvenient, but he’s learned to look beyond those moments.<\/p>\n

“You feel like they may be an inconvenience at times, and then you just realize they want your attention and they want your love,” he said. “So it’s really special to be a dad for sure.”<\/p>\n

Burns had an opportunity to put those priorities into practice earlier this summer. He was prepared to skip The Open because Caroline was expected to give birth around the same time. Belle ultimately arrived 13 days before the tournament began, and Caroline encouraged him to compete.<\/p>\n

Burns made the trip \u2014 and nearly captured his first major championship.<\/p>\n

That performance was part of another strong season for Burns. He finished second at the U.S. Open and third at The Open, where he entered the final round with the lead before finishing two shots behind the winner Ryan Fox. Burns also earned a top-five finish at the FedEx St. Jude Championship.<\/p>\n

Despite his success, Burns has been open about his Christian faith and his belief that golf is something he does rather than the source of his identity.<\/p>\n

Asked whether there has been a moment when golf tested his faith, Burns had a simple answer: “Every day.”<\/p>\n

“You put so many hours and so much effort into something, and a lot of the times you don’t really see the results right away,” he explained. “You can hit really good shots and end up in bad places, or bad shots end up in good places.”<\/p>\n

Those unpredictable results have taught Burns lessons that extend beyond the course.<\/p>\n

“Sometimes it seems silly, but ultimately it’s a game that teaches you a lot about life and definitely can make you realize what’s most important,” he said.<\/p>\n

For Burns, those priorities are faith, family and country.<\/p>\n

That doesn’t mean winning isn’t important. Burns has five PGA Tour victories and continues to chase his first major championship. But he’s learned the difference between pursuing success and letting it define him.<\/p>\n

When Burns represents the United States at Medinah next month, he’ll once again be competing at one of golf’s highest levels. This time, however, his young son will be nearby, beginning to watch his father represent his country.<\/p>\n

Burns believes those team events will ultimately mean more than trophies or individual accomplishments.<\/p>\n

“It’s a week that I think most guys, when they look back on their career, when it’s over, those will be the weeks that they remember,” he said.<\/p>\n

For Burns, some of golf’s greatest moments aren’t about playing for himself. They’re about playing for something bigger.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Golf star Sam Burns has built an impressive career competing against the best players in the world. But the five-time PGA Tour winner says his identity and priorities extend far beyond the golf course. Burns, 30, officially secured an automatic spot on the U.S. Presidents Cup team Sunday, marking his third appearance in the event…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":516,"featured_media":52358,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-52352","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-television"],"yoast_head":"\nGolf Star Sam Burns Reveals What Matters More Than Winning: Faith, Family and Country<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Sam Burns opens up about his Christian faith, fatherhood and representing Team USA, revealing what matters more to him than golf.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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