NEED TO KNOW

• Pro golfer Sam Burns first met his future wife, Caroline Campbell, when they were children

• They dated in college, and have been married since December 2019

• In April 2024, they welcomed a son, Bear

The 2026 Masters Tournament is a family affair for Sam Burns.

The five-time PGA Tour winner has known his wife, Caroline Campbell, since they were 5. The future couple met at church and were each other’s first Valentine’s. It wasn’t until college that their romantic connection started as students at Louisiana State University (LSU).

Following four years together, Burns proposed in April 2019. Shortly after asking for her hand in marriage, Burns told Savannah, Georgia’s WJCL that he “always kind of knew” Campbell was the one.

“I hope that we’ll have many years together and grow old together and get to enjoy a lot of fun things together,” the golfer, who turned pro in 2017, told the news station.

Campbell has joined Burns at his major events​​, which in 2023 included the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Ga., and the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play in Austin, Texas.

In April 2024, she and Burns welcomed their first child, son Bear. She and Bear joined Burns for the Masters Par 3 contest in 2025 and 2026.

So who is Sam Burns’ wife? Here’s everything to know about Caroline Campbell and her relationship with the athlete.

She has known Burns since she was a kid

Caroline Campbell was born on April 8, 1996, in Louisiana. She and Burns both grew up in Shreveport and met in church when they were children.

“We’ve really known each other forever,” Campbell told WJCL. “I was his first Valentine when we were 5 years old.”

Burns shared the same sweet Valentine’s Day anecdote with the outlet but jokingly added, “And then after that, she wanted nothing to do with me until about high school.”

The two attended different high schools in Shreveport — the golf phenom graduated from Calvary Baptist Academy, while Campbell ran track at C.E. Byrd High School.

She attended Louisiana State University

The couple didn’t begin dating until they were in college together at Louisiana State University, when Burns was a freshman and Campbell was a sophomore.

At LSU, Campbell was part of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and involved in Greek life. She was a member of Delta Delta Delta, serving as the sorority’s director of social events.

She also worked as a marketing coordinator for Cyber Fision, a sales intern for Southern ICEE and a marketing intern for Gremillion & Pou Integrated Marketing, according to her LinkedIn profile.

She graduated with a B.S. in marketing in 2018 and later went on to earn her master’s degree in counseling from the Westminster Theological Seminary in 2020.

He and Campbell got engaged at a golf tournament

Burns and Campbell dated for four years before getting engaged on April 19, 2019.

Earlier that winter, Burns had asked Campbell’s father for permission to propose. Campbell’s friends sent over photos of rings she might like, and Burns’ sister joined him at the store to pick out what would become the official engagement ring.

For the big night, the golf pro chose a place that felt good to him — Palmetto Bluff in Bluffton, S.C., where he had spent a good amount of time as a kid. He proposed to Campbell on their way to dinner during the RBC Heritage tournament.

“I felt alright until about two minutes before I knew I was going to do it, and then I was kind of a train wreck,” he admitted to WJCL.

Campbell told the news outlet that both of their families were also in South Carolina and had planned on having dinner together.

“Sam just asked if I wanted to walk over early ’cause we were ready before everyone else,” she recalled. “Right past the restaurant he just stopped me and started talking and then I knew, and then he got down on one knee.”

Shortly after the proposal, Burns shared a photo of him and Campbell on Instagram, where her new engagement ring was front and center.

“She said yes, can’t wait to spend forever with this woman!” he captioned the post.

They got married in their home state of Louisiana

Just a few months after getting engaged, Burns and Campbell wed at Palmetto Bluff on Dec. 14, 2019.

Burns shared a series of photos from their wedding on Instagram. “Married the woman of my dreams, and we couldn’t be happier!” he wrote alongside pictures of their ceremony, reception and a golf-inspired cake.

In December 2021, he posted a black-and-white shot from their nuptials, as well as other cute couple pics, in honor of their second wedding anniversary.

“Happy 2 years to my bride! I couldn’t imagine doing life without you,” Burns wrote on Instagram. “Here’s to many more memories together with the most beautiful person I know inside and out. I love you, Caroline Burns!”

She travels around the world with her husband

Campbell is very supportive of her husband, regularly attending his tournaments, including the 2021 and 2022 Valspar Championships and multiple Masters Tournaments.

At the South Carolina tournament where the pair got engaged, she told WJCL that she enjoys “being out here watching him do what he loves.”

Campbell joining Burns on the road has also had other perks like visiting new countries and meeting celebrities, including singer Niall Horan. But she’s not the only one excited about the encounters.

Burns captioned an Instagram photo of the trio during their July 2022 golf outing, “It was a fun few days in Ireland! This place was incredible, and got to enjoy it with some good lads. @niallhoran said he’ll stick to his day job, and I agree 😂.”

Burns is equally supportive of his wife. Though Campbell keeps a low profile and doesn’t post publicly on social media, the pro golfer praises his longtime love on Instagram whenever given the opportunity.

“24 never looked so good! Happy Birthday love @carolinecburns,” he wrote on her birthday in 2022 alongside a sweet photo of the two from their wedding day.

She has helped Burns get involved in nonprofit work

In 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, a mutual friend contacted Campbell to get Burns’ support for the Baton Rouge-based nonprofit foundation, Feeding Louisiana.

“It really hit home,” Burns told The Advocate in May of that year. “Any time you can help fellow Louisianians, we should. I don’t know how big an impact we’re going to have, but the idea of kids and elderly people not knowing where their next meal is coming from is too sad to think about.”

Campbell has been involved in charity work for years, including raising funds for the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital during her time with Delta Delta Delta.

She and Burns enjoy small-town life

After growing up in Shreveport and attending college in-state at LSU, Burns and Campbell are fully committed to Louisiana.

The two now live in a tiny village in the state that’s estimated to have less than a thousand residents.

“I’ve always loved the small-town feeling,” Burns told the PGA Tour website in September 2018. “Especially with what I do, it’s good for me to go there and get away.”

She and Burns welcomed a son in April 2024

After Burns competed in the 2024 Masters, he and Campbell welcomed a son, Bear, who was born in April 2024, according to the PGA Tour website. As Burns prepared to become a dad, he told the Golf Channel he would withdraw from the competition if his wife went into labor while he was still on the green.

“I think once you get out here, you’re so focused on what you’re doing to get ready to play this week. Off the golf course, it’s definitely been difficult,” he said. “I miss Caroline; I wish she was here, but it’s been fun, too. I know she wants me to be here, so hopefully no baby this week. Hopefully stays in there until after Sunday.”

As for the name Bear, Burns later joked, “It was one area where I had some say,” adding, per the PGA Tour website, “But we both like the name. We wanted to do something a little different.”

Read the original article on People