Class of 2026

George Burns III

Hometown: Brooklyn, N.Y.
Residence: Boynton Beach, F.L.

George Francis Burns III rose from New York's amateur ranks to become one of the most accomplished players of his generation - a dominant amateur, a four-time PGA Tour winner, and a man who stood one round away from a U.S. Open title.

Born in Brooklyn, Burns first made his name on the national amateur stage. Across a remarkable three-year stretch from 1972 to 1974, he assembled one of the deepest amateur résumés any New York player has ever compiled. In 1972 alone he captured the Monroe Invitational, the Long Island Amateur and the Metropolitan Golf Association Amateur. He followed with the Canadian Amateur in 1973, then put together a banner 1974, winning the NYSGA Men's Amateur, the Porter Cup, the North & South Amateur and the Azalea Invitational. That body of work earned him a place on the 1975 United States Walker Cup team, the highest honor in American amateur golf.

Burns played his college golf at the University of Tennessee as a freshman before transferring to the University of Maryland for his sophomore through senior seasons. A gifted all-around athlete, he also spent one year on the Maryland football team as a defensive end before stepping away from the gridiron to commit fully to golf.

He turned professional in 1975 and made an immediate mark overseas, winning both the Scandinavian Enterprise Open and the Kerrygold International Classic on the European Tour in his first year as a pro. On the PGA Tour, Burns went on to win four times: the Walt Disney World National Team Championship alongside Ben Crenshaw in 1979, the Bing Crosby National Pro-Am in 1980, the Bank of Boston Classic in 1985, and the Andy Williams Open in 1987. He also claimed the New York State Open in 1982 and a Chrysler Team Championship paired with Wayne Levi. Over a durable career, Burns played 571 PGA Tour events, recorded 70 top-10 finishes and finished runner-up eight times, before joining the Senior PGA Tour in 1999, where his best finish was a T9 at the 2000 Brickyard Classic.

The defining moment of his career came at the 1981 U.S. Open. Burns carried a three-shot lead into the final round and finished tied for second — the closest any New York-connected player of his era came to capturing the national championship. His major-championship record runs deeper still: a tie for fifth at the 1977 British Open, ties for 19th at the 1977 and 1978 PGA Championships, and a tie for 30th at the 1975 Masters, where he earned Low Amateur honors.

With a New York State Amateur title, a Walker Cup appearance, four PGA Tour victories and a near-miss at a U.S. Open crown, George Burns III stands among the finest players the state has produced. His career — amateur dominance carried seamlessly into professional success on golf's biggest stages — embodies the very best of New York golf and earns him his place in the New York State Golf Association Hall of Fame.

George Burns III's Career Highlights

  • Winner, Monroe Invitational (1972)
  • Winner, Long Island Amateur (1972)
  • Winner, MGA Amateur (1972)
  • Winner, Canadian Amateur (1973)
  • Winner, NYSGA Men's Amateur (1974)
  • Winner, Porter Cup (1974)
  • Winner, North & South Amateur (1974)
  • Winner, Azalea Invitational (1974)
  • Member, United States Walker Cup Team (1975)
  • College golf: University of Tennessee (freshman), University of Maryland (sophomore–senior); also a one-year member of the Maryland football team
  • Turned professional in 1975
  • 2x winner, European Tour — Scandinavian Enterprise Open (1975) and Kerrygold International Classic (1975)
  • 4x winner, PGA Tour:
    • Walt Disney World National Team Championship, with Ben Crenshaw (1979)
    • Bing Crosby National Pro-Am (1980)
    • Bank of Boston Classic (1985)
    • Andy Williams Open (1987)
  • Winner, New York State Open (1982)
  • Winner, Chrysler Team Championship, with Wayne Levi
  • 571 PGA Tour events played; 70 top-10 finishes; 8 runner-up finishes
  • U.S. Open: T2 (1981), held a three-shot lead entering the final round
  • British Open: T5 (1977)
  • PGA Championship: T19 (1977, 1978)
  • Masters: T30 (1975), Low Amateur
  • Senior PGA Tour member (1999); best finish T9 at the 2000 Brickyard Classic
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