The 154th British Open is shaping up for a dramatic weekend at Royal Birkdale, with the second round delivering record-tying scores, significant controversy, and notable leaderboard movement.
Lucas Herbert and Sam Burns both shot rounds of 62 on Friday, equaling the lowest score ever recorded in a major championship. Herbert leads the tournament at 8-under par, while Burns surged from 3-over to 5-under after his impressive second round. Burns capped his day with a bunker shot for birdie on the 18th hole.
Bryson DeChambeau, who was in second place at 7-under, was assessed a two-stroke penalty for improving his lie in the fescue grass near the fifth hole. The penalty resulted in a triple-bogey 7 for the hole, dropping him to 5-under and a tie for fifth. The infraction was caught on television.
Cam Young sits in second place at 6-under, tied with first-round co-leaders Jackson Suber and Ryan Gerard, after shooting his second consecutive 67. Young, who finished as runner-up in the 2022 British Open, has had a strong year, including a win at the Players Championship in March.
Several top players are also in contention. World No. 1 and defending champion Scottie Scheffler is at 4-under par, methodically climbing the leaderboard. He expressed his desire to always be at the top.
World No. 2 Rory McIlroy rebounded from an opening-round 72 with a 67 on Friday, bringing him to 1-under par. McIlroy stated his plan to get off to a good start on Saturday to position himself for a run at the leaders.
Jon Rahm, a top player on LIV Golf, is also at 4-under. Local favorite Tommy Fleetwood, a Southport native, is also in contention at 4-under, drawing significant crowd support.
Herbert acknowledged the significance of his near-record round, stating that while dreaming of winning the Open Championship, he recognizes the substantial work still ahead over the weekend.