The Open Round 2: Lucas Herbert and Sam Burns Match History With 62s as DeChambeau Takes a Penalty

For 36 holes, Royal Birkdale looked like a links that would make everyone earn it. Then Friday happened, and two players matched the lowest score anyone has ever posted at The Open.

Lucas Herbert and Sam Burns each shot 8-under 62 on a wild second day of the 154th Open Championship, matching the major championship record. Herbert's round lifted him to 8-under 132 and a two-shot lead, the first 36-hole lead of his major career. Jackson Suber, Cameron Young and Ryan Gerard share second at 6 under. Burns jumped to 5 under, where he sits with Si Woo Kim and Bryson DeChambeau, whose day ended with a two-shot penalty and a dispute with rules officials.

Herbert Goes Out in 28

Herbert left no doubt early. The Australian birdied his first three holes, kept going at the fifth, seventh and ninth, and turned in 28, matching the lowest front nine in Open history, a mark Denis Durnian set at this same course in 1983, per The R&A. A 35-footer at the seventh put him in front, and he stayed there.

He added birdies at 11, 12 and 16 and scrambled a par at 17 with a chip from the rough. The 61, a number no man has ever shot in a major, was sitting right there. Herbert drove it well right on the 18th and then slid a 5-foot par putt past the hole. He tapped in for 62.

"Very, very proud to put my name on that list of guys that have shot 62 in a major championship," Herbert said, per the AP. He also admitted the obvious irony, that it is a nice problem to be disappointed with a 62.

Burns Holes Out for History

Burns wrote the better ending. He came home in 30 with six birdies on the back nine, including his last three holes. He rolled in a 40-footer from off the green at 16, made a 20-footer at 17, then holed his bunker shot at 18 to complete the 62.

The context makes it wilder. Burns was not supposed to be here. His wife gave birth to their daughter earlier than expected, on July 3, and Burns decided the previous week to make the trip, per the AP. He arrived as the runner-up from the U.S. Open and now sits three back at the halfway point.

The two rounds put Royal Birkdale back at the center of major history. Branden Grace shot the first 62 by a man in a major here in 2017, and Friday added two more names to that list on the same ground.

The DeChambeau Ruling

DeChambeau came off the course with a 66, which would have left him one behind Herbert. Instead, officials reviewed his play in thick, high grass right of the 321-yard fifth hole and assessed a two-stroke penalty under Rule 8, the rule covering the area of an intended swing. The finding was that grass behind his ball had been pressed down by his movements, which could affect his backswing.

That turned the 66 into a 68 and dropped him from one back to three back, out of the final group. Grant Moir of The R&A said the rule applies even when there is no intention to improve the area, as was the case with DeChambeau. DeChambeau posted on X that he was disappointed with the ruling and did not agree with it. His agent, Brett Falkoff, was not even sure on Friday night whether DeChambeau would tee it up on Saturday, per the AP.

The Chasers Hold Firm

Suber did not blink after his opening 65. He birdied the second, gave it back with three straight bogeys, then made four birdies after the turn for a 69 that kept him two back. Young and Gerard have now shot 67 in both rounds. Young, the runner-up at St Andrews in 2022, keeps hanging around major leaderboards. Gerard is making his Open debut. Kim made five birdies on the back nine to reach 5 under.

Scottie Scheffler posted a second straight 68 and is four back, frustrated by a putter that would not cooperate. "All you can do is continue to give myself opportunities," the defending champion said, per the AP. Jon Rahm shot 67 to join him at 4 under but received a conduct warning from officials after throwing a club on the 15th following a poor tee shot. Hometown hero Tommy Fleetwood is also at 4 under after a 67.

Rory McIlroy shot 67 to move from 2 over to 1 under and safely into the weekend. Ryan Fox added a 68 to get back to even par, eight off the lead.

Cut Day Casualties

The cut fell at 1-over 141, with 78 players making it, per the PGA TOUR. Matt Fitzpatrick missed at 4 over after two rounds of 72. Wyndham Clark, Justin Rose and Tom Kim also went home, and Aaron Rai missed by one. All 10 amateurs missed the cut, so no Silver Medal will be awarded, per The R&A.

Sixteen Inside Four

The course stayed brown and baked, and the wind stayed mostly polite. With 16 players within four shots of the lead, per the AP, the weekend is wide open. Herbert has the low round and the lead. Burns has the momentum. DeChambeau has a grievance. Saturday will sort out which of those matters most.

Catch up on Round 1 from Royal Birkdale. Full scoring is on the official PGA TOUR leaderboard (opens in a new tab), and the AP's Round 2 report (opens in a new tab) has more.

Sources: PGA TOUR (AP Round 2 report, cut tracker and leaderboard), The R&A (theopen.com), AP. More golf coverage on Undrafted.

Photo: PGA TOUR.