Two golfers have made history at The Open, each matching the major championship scoring record of 62 on Friday, though their celebrations were starkly different.
Lucas Herbert and Sam Burns both delivered extraordinary rounds at Royal Birkdale, joining an elite club of players to achieve the feat.
Australian’s Herbert came agonisingly close to setting a new record outright. His round was near-flawless until the final hole, where he missed a 5-foot par putt on the challenging 18th. Having reached 9-under par through 16 holes, Herbert’s misstep meant he had to settle for a share of the record.
“The nerves were going, but I thought I handled it well,” Herbert said. “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.”
Just two groups later, American Sam Burns completed a sensational birdie-birdie-birdie finish to join Herbert in the record books.
Burns, whose presence at The Open was only possible after his wife gave birth to their second child earlier than anticipated, holed a 40-foot birdie putt on the 16th, followed by a 20-foot birdie on the 17th. He then dramatically holed out from a greenside bunker on the 18th for his 62, marking the first birdie on that hole all day.
The 62-stroke record was first established by Branden Grace in 2017, also at Royal Birkdale, and has since been matched four times across two other majors. These remarkable performances follow Haeran Ryu’s women’s major record of 60 at the Evian Championship in France last week.
The men’s major record has seen similar dual achievements, reminiscent of Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele both carding 62s at the 2023 US Open, and Schauffele and Shane Lowry repeating the score at the PGA Championship the following year.
Both Herbert and Burns will now attempt to win their first major this weekend after their stunning performances on Friday.
Burns has enjoyed a strong 2026, finishing seventh at the Masters before claiming the runner-up spot at the US Open.
