SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — Sam Burns tossed his putter aside, fell to his palms and then down to his knees. The crowd around him groaned.He was that close to sinking a birdie putt on the 18th hole to tie leader Wyndham Clark at the U.S. Open and instead missed just right by a half-inch — maybe.”I really thought I made that putt,” Burns said after shooting a 67 Sunday to get to 3 under for the tournament and go into the clubhouse one stroke behind Clark. “It just didn’t go in.”Burns sat down in the scoring tent, let out an exasperated sigh and put his hands on his head. He could only watch as Clark birdied No. 16, bogeyed 17 and two-putted in on 18 to win by the single shot Burns did not make down the stretch.”I felt like I was chasing all day,” Burns said. “It’s unfortunate I just came up one short.”The heartbreak at Shinnecock Hills on Long Island came a year after Burns’ miserable finish at the U.S. Open at Oakmont outside Pittsburgh. He led after two rounds, played in the final group Sunday and everything fell apart in the rain when he shot 78 to fall out of contention and into a tie for seventh.Burns was brilliant Sunday in his bid for retribution. Entering the final round at even par, seven back of Clark, Burns birdied three of his first eight holes to move past Scott …
