Herbert and Burns Match Major Championship Scoring Record at The Open

LIV Golf player Lucas Herbert has emerged as a co-betting favorite at The Open after equaling the lowest round score ever recorded in a men's major championship. Herbert achieved an eight-under-par 62 on Friday at Royal Birkdale, placing him in contention for the lead.

Shortly after Herbert's performance, Sam Burns of the USA also matched the historic score, marking the sixth and seventh instances of a 62 in major championship history. Burns, however, is three shots behind the leaders on the overall leaderboard, having started the day at three-over-par.

Herbert, whose previous best major finish was 13th at the 2022 PGA Championship, is now a joint-betting favorite to win The Open, alongside world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. Herbert leads the field by two shots at -8, with American Jackson Suber trailing him.

Herbert came close to making history as the first player to shoot a 61 in a major, missing a short putt on the 18th green. "It's a tough one. That was probably the best chance I'll have to shoot 61," Herbert told NBC after his round.

He admitted to being aware of the historical significance as he approached the finish. "I'm a golf geek so I knew the numbers, knew what people had shot," he said. "It was hard to focus. It was kind of funny, I was walking up 18 saying I might as well throw my phone in the lake because this is going to be blown up for the next three days."

Herbert plans to relax with his family, who are present for the tournament, to help manage the pressure. "We'll just go home and chill out and try and take our minds off it, not get too caught up in this. It's a really cool feeling."

The first player to shoot a 62 in a major was South Africa's Branden Grace at the 2017 Open Championship, also held at Royal Birkdale. In 2023, Americans Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele achieved the feat at the Los Angeles Country Club. Schauffele then matched it again a year later en route to winning at Valhalla. Shane Lowry also recorded a 62 during that same week in May 2024, prior to Herbert and Burns' rounds on Friday.