Three qualifying wins saw Burnett play at the 2015 Australian Goldfields Open and he lost 5–3 to Joe Perry in round one. His best run of the 2015–16 season was at the UK Championship, where wins over Sanderson Lam, Alan McManus and Li Hang saw him reach the last 16. Burnett recovered from a 4–1 deficit against John Higgins to level, but would be defeated 6–4. He entered the first three events of the 2016–17 season, but has now not played a professional match since July 2016 and has been relegated from the tour.