History was made at Royal Birkdale during the second round of the 154th Open on Friday, as two golfers incredibly matched the major championship scoring record within minutes of each other. Australia's Lucas Herbert and American Sam Burns both delivered sensational rounds of 62, joining an elite group of players to achieve the feat.
Herbert, who finished his round first, came tantalisingly close to setting a new outright record. His play was almost flawless until the final hole, where a missed 5-foot par putt on the challenging 18th meant he had to settle for a share of the record. Having reached nine-under par through 16 holes, the misstep on the last saw him finish with a 62. Herbert commented on the mixed emotions, stating, "The nerves were going, but I thought I handled it well. It wasn’t meant to be. So it was a strange one, knocking that in and knowing I tied the record, but feeling like it might be one of the best chances we’ve ever had to shoot a 61."
Remarkably, just two groups behind, Sam Burns completed his own extraordinary round to join Herbert in the record books. Burns, whose participation at The Open was only possible after the earlier-than-anticipated birth of his second child, finished in spectacular fashion. He holed a 40-foot birdie putt on the 16th, followed by a 20-foot birdie on the 17th. The drama culminated on the 18th, where he holed out from a greenside bunker for a birdie, marking the first birdie on that hole all day, and securing his 62.
The 62-stroke record was initially established by Branden Grace at Royal Birkdale in 2017. Since then, the score has been matched four times across two other major championships, including Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele at the 2023 US Open, and Schauffele again with Shane Lowry at the PGA Championship the following year. These performances follow Haeran Ryu's women's major record of 60 at the Evian Championship in France last week.
Both Herbert and Burns will now head into the weekend with significant momentum, each aiming to secure their first major championship victory. Burns has enjoyed a strong 2026 season so far, including a seventh-place finish at the Masters and a runner-up spot at the US Open, setting the stage for a compelling final two rounds at Royal Birkdale.