Lucas Herbert and Sam Burns matched the major scoring record with 62s at Royal Birkdale before Bryson DeChambeau’s penalty added late Friday chaos at The Open.
The Open Championship turned into a full-blown record hunt Friday as Lucas Herbert and Sam Burns attacked Royal Birkdale from opposite emotional extremes.
Herbert walked off the 18th green crushed. Burns walked off the same hole stunned.
Both signed for an 8-under 62, matching the lowest round ever recorded in a men’s major championship and transforming the second round into one of the wildest scoring days in Open history.
Herbert came painfully close to owning the record by himself.
The 30-year-old Australian reached 9 under for his round after making birdie at the par-4 16th.
A birdie at either of the closing two holes would’ve produced the first 61 in men’s major championship history.
Instead, Herbert missed a 10-footer at the par-5 17th and then failed to convert a 5-foot par putt on No. 18.
The closing bogey left him with a 62 and the strange reality of feeling disappointed after producing one of golf’s greatest rounds.
Herbert opened with three consecutive birdies and turned in 28 after playing the front nine in 6 under.
He added birdies at Nos. 11 and 12 before briefly stalling on Royal Birkdale’s closing stretch.
Even with the missed opportunity, Herbert joined an exclusive club that includes Branden Grace, Xander Schauffele, Rickie Fowler and Shane Lowry.
Twenty-two minutes later, Burns crashed the same party.
Unlike Herbert, the 29-year-old American didn’t spend the day chasing history.
He entered Friday simply trying to repair the damage from an opening-round 73 that ended with three straight bogeys.
Burns did considerably more than save his championship.
He closed with three consecutive birdies, beginning with a 40-footer from off the green at No. 16.
Burns then buried a 20-foot putt on the 17th before producing the shot of the tournament at the brutal finishing hole.
From a pot bunker beside the 18th green, Burns landed his ball into the fringe and watched it ride the slope directly into the cup.
It was the first birdie of the day at No. 18 and completed a record-tying 62.
Burns wasn’t even originally certain he’d compete at Royal Birkdale.
His wife was due to give birth during Open week, but their daughter arrived early enough for him to make the trip.
One week later, Burns had authored one of the most memorable finishes in major championship history.
Royal Birkdale has now produced three of the seven 62s shot in men’s majors.
Grace established the record there during the 2017 Open, while Herbert and Burns added their names during Friday’s favorable morning conditions.
The historic scoring didn’t end the drama.
Bryson DeChambeau initially finished with consecutive birdies and appeared to shoot a 66, leaving him one stroke behind Herbert.
Officials later determined that DeChambeau had improperly affected the grass surrounding his ball while preparing to play from heavy rough near the fifth hole.
The resulting two-stroke penalty changed his score to 68.
DeChambeau disputed the ruling, skipped his media availability and headed directly to the practice range.
When his agent was asked whether DeChambeau would return for Saturday’s round, the answer was anything but reassuring.
That left Royal Birkdale with two major scoring records, one brutal near-miss and a simmering rules controversy.
Just another quiet Friday at The Open.
