A historic 61 sat 5 feet from Lucas Herbert on Royal Birkdale’s final green. His par putt slipped past, the gallery groaned, and Herbert folded over his putter for a moment. He had missed the lowest round ever recorded by a man in a major championship.
What remained was hardly ordinary. Herbert signed for 62, matched the major record and reached 8 under, good enough for a 2 shot lead after 36 holes. About 20 minutes later, Sam Burns produced another 62 by holing a bunker shot for birdie at the 18th. Men’s major golf had seen only 5 rounds of 62 before Friday. Royal Birkdale delivered 2 more in less than half an hour.
Then the leaderboard shifted after play. Bryson DeChambeau’s apparent 66 became a 68 after officials assessed a 2 shot penalty at the 5th. He fell from 7 under and solo 2nd to 5 under, turning an extraordinary scoring day into a tense rules dispute.
Herbert’s 61 Disappears at the Last
Herbert attacked from the opening tee. Birdies at the first 3 holes settled him, and a 35 foot putt at the 7th pushed him into the lead. Another birdie at the 9th completed a front nine of 28, matching the Open record Denis Durnian set at Royal Birkdale in 1983.
The Australian kept pressing. He converted from 9 feet at the 11th, made another from 12 feet at the 12th and added his 9th birdie at the 16th. At that point, even a round below 60 remained possible.
Trouble finally arrived at the 17th, where Herbert sent his approach well left of the green. A delicate chip from the rough saved par and sent him to the last needing another par for the first 61 in men’s major history.
His tee shot leaked far right toward the spectator fence. Herbert received free relief, but his second shot came up short and in front of the green. He recovered to 5 feet. The putt stayed out.
The missed chance hurt because Herbert knew exactly what had been available. Still, the round put his name beside Branden Grace, Rickie Fowler, Xander Schauffele and Shane Lowry in golf’s 62 club. It also placed him alone at the top of the championship.
Burns Finds 62 From the Sand
Burns took a far different route. He opened with a 73 on Thursday and began Friday at 3 over, more concerned with reaching the weekend than chasing history.
A steady front nine moved him 2 under for the round. Burns then caught fire with birdies at the 10th, 11th and 13th before adding another at the 16th. He birdied the 17th as well, leaving him one more at the last to match Herbert.
The task looked much harder when his approach found a greenside pot bunker. Burns faced a delicate shot that had to land on the fringe and use the slope toward the cup. He judged it perfectly. The ball released down the bank and disappeared for birdie as the grandstand erupted.
Burns had shot 62 without realizing it matched the major record. The closing run also carried him from the cut line into the heart of the championship at 5 under.
His presence at Birkdale was never guaranteed. Burns had considered withdrawing because his wife was due to give birth in July. Their daughter arrived 11 days early, and his family encouraged him to make the trip. By Friday evening, he had turned that late decision into one of the rounds of his career.
DeChambeau’s 66 Becomes 68 After Review
DeChambeau walked off the course believing he had shot 66. He had closed with birdies at the 17th and 18th, reaching 7 under and moving within 1 stroke of Herbert.
Officials then reviewed his second shot at the 5th. His drive had sailed into deep rough on the right, where video showed him moving through the tall grass near his ball.
The ruling was clear. DeChambeau had pressed down growing grass and improved the area of his intended backswing.
Grant Moir, the Chief Referee at The Open, stressed that officials did not believe DeChambeau acted deliberately. Intent did not change the decision. Rule 8.1 prevents a player from moving, bending or pressing down growing material when doing so creates a possible advantage for the next stroke.
The penalty changed his score at the hole from 5 to 7. His round moved from 66 to 68, and his position fell from solo 2nd into a tie for 5th.
“Obviously disappointed with the ruling. I don’t agree with it, but it is what it is. This fires me up. Onto the weekend. Let’s get it,” DeChambeau wrote in a social media post shortly after midnight.
Before posting that message, DeChambeau returned to the 5th with officials, continued the discussion near the scoring area and later hit balls on the range in darkness. The ruling stood.
The 2 shot swing did not end his championship, but it shredded his safety net. Instead of joining Herbert in Saturday’s final group, DeChambeau will begin 3 behind with Burns and Kim Si Woo.
Weekend Weather Could Restore Birkdale’s Bite
Herbert leads at 8 under. Jackson Suber, Cameron Young and Ryan Gerard sit 2 shots back, while Burns, DeChambeau and Kim are at 5 under. Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, Tommy Fleetwood and several others remain within 4 strokes of the lead.
Friday’s low scoring came during warm conditions with periods of light wind and firm ground. The weekend should ask harder questions. Saturday’s forecast calls for a shifting northwest breeze with gusts near 20 mph, temperatures around 21 C and a slight chance of rain.
Cloudy and mostly dry conditions are expected Sunday. The steady wind should still complicate club selection and punish drives that drift into Birkdale’s rough and pot bunkers.
Herbert might have his name at the top, but a 2 shot cushion on this course can disappear quickly. Burns has fresh momentum. DeChambeau now has anger to channel. Scheffler and Rahm remain close enough to apply pressure.
Friday gave Herbert a record round and the halfway lead. He now has 36 holes to turn a painful 5 foot miss into something much larger than 61.
READ ALSO: Links Novice Jackson Suber Shocks Royal Birkdale With Opening 65
FAQs
What score did Lucas Herbert shoot at The Open?
Herbert shot 62 in the second round at Royal Birkdale. He matched the lowest round in men’s major championship history.
How close did Lucas Herbert come to shooting 61?
Herbert needed a 5 foot par putt at the 18th. He missed it and finished with a bogey for 62.
Did Sam Burns also shoot 62?
Yes. Burns holed a bunker shot for birdie at the 18th and matched Herbert’s record equalling 62.
Why was Bryson DeChambeau penalized?
Officials ruled that DeChambeau pressed down grass and improved the area of his intended backswing. Rule 8.1 required a 2 shot penalty.
Who led The Open after the second round?
Herbert led at 8 under after 36 holes. He held a 2 shot advantage entering the weekend.
Tracking stats and settling debates. If there is a scoreboard, I am watching it.
