Like any savvy patient who gets a bad diagnosis, Sam Burns wanted a second opinion. When his drive on Oakmont’s par-4 15th hole stayed on the fairway next to the first cut, he seemed to catch a good break.

When Sam Burns stood over his tee shot on the 15th hole in the final round of the U.S. Open, he was in a tie for the lead. When he walked off the green, he was two shots back and essentially out of contention. What transpired in between is a questionable ruling that very much led to the double bogey Burns carded on the hole.

Sam Burns Plummets From Top Spot, Finishes T6

It just showed a clever bit of awareness and foresight. In the heat of the pressure and the pouring rain, Burns stopped himself from making a potentially very costly error. It was a small moment, but the kind of decision that wins U.S. Opens.

Sam Burns backed up his second-round 65 with a 69 in the third round of the U.S. Open, and he has a one-shot lead over J.J. Spaun and Adam Scott. Burns will enter the final round at 4 under. Follow live coverage here.

With three rounds of the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club complete, Sam Burns holds a one shot lead and will look to close it out on Sunday and win his first major championship. Burns entered the weekend with the lead after finding ways to tame some of Oakmont's challenges, firing a 65 to move to -3 on the leaderboard.

Sam Burns has the lead in the U.S. Open on a rain-soaked Oakmont course and faces his biggest test. The 28-year-old from Louisiana has never contended in 20 previous majors.

Saturday was moving day at the US Open and Adam Scott took that to heart, charging up the leaderboard and ending the day a shot behind leader Sam Burns.

Sam Burns lit up Oakmont Country Club during Friday's second round, posting a 5-under 65 for the best round of the U.S. Open thus far.

Burns, a 28-year-old from Louisiana, has five PGA Tour titles, the last one more than two years ago. Despite that, he leads the quartet under par through 54 holes.

Sam Burns' wife Caroline Burns and the couple's son Bear are at the center of the PGA Tour golfer's pursuit of the U.S. Open title at Oakmont. Sam's wife has been journeying with him long before the golfer was competing at majors.