Lucas Herbert and Sam Burns both equalled the lowest score in a men’s major by shooting 62 in an incredible half-hour in the second round of The Open at Royal Birkdale.
A bogey at the last cost Australian Herbert his place in history with a new mark after a run of nine birdies but Burns finished in style, holing out from a greenside bunker on 18 for his sixth birdie on the back nine.
Remarkably it was the second time in three years two players separated by just one group had posted record-equalling scores, matching the feat of Xander Schauffele and Rickie Fowler in the 2023 US Open at Los Angeles Country Club.
That pair were two of only four other men who had previously gone that low in the majors; Branden Grace who was the first to 62 in the third round at the par-70 Birkdale in 2017 and Ireland’s Shane Lowry the other at the US PGA in 2024, where Schauffele carded another low round on the par-71 Valhalla.
Herbert, who led the tournament by two on eight under, had mixed feelings about his experience, saying: “I’m absolutely disappointed, and at the same time so proud to put my name on that list of guys that have shot 62 in a major championship.
“It’s kind of holding two emotions there at the same time. It’s a tricky one, and I’m sure once the dust settles, I’ll be able to sort of decompress it a little bit.
“I can at least sit here and tell you guys that I did the best I could to shoot the best round I could, and I have no regrets.
“The first 12 holes, I might not play 12 better holes in my life. I was eight under through 12 and you could make a very good argument that I could have been a couple better as well.”
Burns began the day outside the cut line on three over but finished it three off the lead.
“I caught myself by surprise,” said the 29-year-old, who only decided to travel on Friday after wife Caroline gave birth early to their second child, Belle, a fortnight ago.
“I thought there was zero percent chance (of playing). Then we ended up having her on the third, even then I still wasn’t expecting to play, but my wife encouraged me to come over here and play and here we are.”
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