Australian Lucas Herbert took the lead in the British Open after his score of -8 and 62 points allowed him to tie the record for the lowest score in major golf on the second day of the 154th Royal Birkdale Golf Club championship.
Australian Lucas Herbert took the lead in the British Open after his score of -8 and 62 points allowed him to tie the record for the lowest score in major golf on the second day of the 154th Royal Birkdale Golf Club championship.
On Friday, Australian Lucas Herbert and American Sam Burns set a record for the lowest score in the history of major golf, both posting a round of 62. Herbert is now leading by two strokes behind Jackson Suber, who was the leader the previous day, and Cameron Yang, who ranks fourth in the world.
Despite Herbert, ranked 97th in the world, being disappointed after his attempt to make par on the 18th hole failed, he aimed to become the first player to shoot a 61 in a major. Burns followed suit less than an hour later, achieving six birdies on the back nine, including a bunker chip on the 18th, which allowed him to move up five places in the leaderboard.
Herbert, who played for the LIV Tour for the past two years, started the day at even par. In beautiful sunny weather in northwest England, the 30-year-old started very confidently, making birdies on the first three holes, and then another three on the fifth, seventh, and ninth, finishing the first half of the tournament with a score of 28—a British Open record for the first nine holes. His momentum continued with birdies on the 12th and 13th holes, as well as a perfect approach that secured three more birdies on the par-four 16th hole, opening up a chance for history.
Despite a poor tee shot on the last hole, which could have resulted in par, the moment before a huge crowd seemingly affected Herbert, as two hesitant shots led to his first bogey of the day. Herbert noted that he is a 'golf botanist' and knows all the records, adding that he had considered the possibility of shooting a 61 from the third hole. He expressed pride in the opportunity to tie the record, stating that 'this entire back nine today, I didn't forget about the volume of history in major championships and the possibility, obviously, of breaking the record.'
Burns achieved his 62 through a different route, posting six birdies on the back nine, which helped significantly improve his position. The World No. 18 sank a 20-foot birdie on the 17th hole and then finished his historic round with a green-side chip on the last hole. Burns stated that he was 'surprised' and believes the finish on the last three holes was just a bonus.
Both players tied the course record set by Brendan Grace during the last British Open at Birkdale in 2017, as well as one of the five previous rounds with a score of 62 in majors. These included rounds by Alexander Schaffel and Shane Lowry with nine birdies on par at the PGA Championship 2024 at Valhalla.
Jackson Suber showed strong play in his first British Open on Thursday and maintained competitiveness in the second round despite turbulence. The American made three consecutive bogeys on the sixth, seventh, and eighth holes, dropping his score to three under par midway through the tournament. However, on the back nine, he made four birdies, moving up to second place with a score of six under par heading into the weekend.
Rory McIlroy managed to recover from a difficult first round with a score of 72, which included six bogeys, thus putting himself in a position for a potential surge in the standings over the weekend. The six-time major champion posted a score of 67, allowing him to move up one stroke under par in the tournament. His playing partner, Matt Fitzpatrick, is one of the well-known players who are likely not to qualify. Fitzpatrick, who was one of the top players on the PGA Tour this year and rose to third in the world rankings, is struggling in major tournaments and has dropped to four over par, which is four strokes behind the projected cut line.
The match during the Junior World Cup in Tbilisi on Monday evening was marred by an incident when England flanker Seb Kelly delivered a strong headbutt to Junior Springboks flanker Luan Gilieme. This episode forced England to play the match with fourteen players.
Tuesday became the day Seb Kelly was in the spotlight after his headbutt on Junior Springboks backfield player Luan Gilieme in the first half overshadowed Junior Springboks' triumphant victory over Junior England with a score of 53-37 in the U20 Rugby World Cup semi-final in Tbilisi, Georgia. Following intervention by the Television Match Official (TMO), Kelly received a straight red card for headbutting Gilieme during a non-contact collision, which forced England to play more than half of the tense match short-handed.
This incident quickly became the main topic of discussion after the game, drawing condemnation from former players, fans, and parts of the international media community, who described the act as 'shameful,' 'disgusting,' and 'stupid.' It is expected that this case will be thoroughly investigated by the World Rugby disciplinary committee.
The disqualification became a decisive moment in the game. Despite the numerical advantage of the opponent, England managed to take the lead with a score of 20-12 at halftime. However, the Junior Springboks ultimately outplayed the team with brilliant play in the second half, securing their second consecutive participation in the main world tournament.
Meanwhile, Junior Springboks coach Kevin Fouet declined to comment on the scandal surrounding Kelly. Instead, he highly praised the maturity of his players, who managed to overcome an eight-point deficit. Fouet noted that in the first half, the team should have controlled the ball better and maintained constant pressure on England. He added that while England demonstrated expected fighting spirit, the conditions were not always suitable for their preferred style of play, but he was most pleased with the players' maturity in the second half.
Fouet emphasized the huge contribution of his five starters and substitutes, who once again formed the basis of the big win. He noted that the forwards worked very hard from the start of the group stage, and despite it being the fourth game in three weeks, their ability to keep moving and exerting effort is impressive. The coach also praised the impact of the bench, highlighting the importance of the entire squad. He noted that the talented squad has great depth, and players awaiting their chance have a significant impact when they enter the field.
As of the publication, England had not made public comments regarding Kelly's disqualification. Now, the Junior Springboks will focus on the final on Saturday against the reigning Six Nations champion, France, at the Michael Meski Stadium in Tbilisi. Fouet intends to keep the team's focus on the historic chance to win the title two years in a row. Earlier that same day, France defeated New Zealand 26-22 in the first semi-final, determining the matchup for the upcoming Saturday match. Fouet concluded that France performed brilliantly, showing immense spirit in the battle against New Zealand, and acknowledged that as Six Nations champions, they present a serious challenge.
