# Lucas Herbert’s Record-Breaking 61 and the Historic Chaos of Royal Birkdale

**By Amelie Fontaine**  \nPublished August 1, 2026  \nUpdated September 9, 2026

> Australian golfer Lucas Herbert electrified Royal Birkdale with a record-tying 28 on the front nine and an 8-under 62, seizing control of the 154th Open Championship.

When a links course like Royal Birkdale offers up fast, dry turf with absolutely no wind, the architecture of the 7,223-yard, par-70 layout can transform from a brutal examination into an open invitation. On Friday, July 17, 2026, Australian professional Lucas Herbert accepted that invitation in a manner that instantly rewritten the record books of the 154th Open Championship.

Entering the second round after an even-par opening 70, the 30-year-old launched an offensive that caught the entire field by surprise. Herbert kicked off his Friday charge with three consecutive birdies, added another on the fifth, and continued his ruthless precision through the seventh and ninth. By the time he holed a chip-in from the fringe beyond the putting surface on the ninth hole, he had completed the front nine in just 28 strokes—six under par for that section of the course.

That 28 equalled the lowest nine-hole score in the history of The Open, matching a benchmark set by Englishman Denis Durnian during the second round of the 1983 championship at Royal Birkdale—a statistical anomaly that stood alone for more than four decades. *"Both were achieved on Royal Birkdale's front nine and both came during the second round of the tournament,"* notes the historical parallel between two rounds separated by 43 years.

Herbert did not relent on the inward half. He added birdies at the 11th, 12th, and 16th holes, climbing to nine under par overall. Standing on the demanding 18th tee—playing as the toughest hole on the course—the Australian had a chance to claim the major championship scoring record outright. However, he badly sliced his drive into the native area on the right, finding his ball trapped under a security railing. After receiving relief, his approach stopped 15 feet below the pin. He putted from off the green to five feet but missed the subsequent par putt, signing for a bogey on the last.

That lone blemish left him with an 8-under 62, matching the lowest round in men's major championship history. Branden Grace was the first to shoot 62 at Royal Birkdale during the 2017 Open, a milestone since matched by a select few, including Sam Burns, who also carded a 62 on Friday after holing out from a greenside bunker on the 18th hole.

*"I'm absolutely disappointed, and at the same time, so proud of today,"* Herbert told reporters Mark Schlabach / ESPN. *"[I'm] very, very proud to put my name on that list of guys that have shot 62 in a major championship. So it's kind of holding two emotions there at the same time. It's a tricky one, and I'm sure once the dust settles, I'll be able to sort of decompress it a little bit."*

Regarding the final-hole putt that cost him the outright record, Herbert added: *"The putt on the last, I thought it was kind of the left side of the hole. I thought the wind was off the left a little as well which might push it. It just kind of jagged a little left early on me early and never came back. I didn't hit a bad putt. I can at least sleep easy tonight knowing I didn't hit a bad putt, I just misread it."*

The historic round propelled Herbert to the top of the leaderboard at eight under par overall for the tournament (noting the course par 70 setup), establishing a two-stroke advantage over Bryson DeChambeau, who sits one stroke back, and a chasing pack featuring first-round leader Jackson Suber, Ryan Gerard, and Cameron Young at six under. Meanwhile, reigning champion and world number one Scottie Scheffler carded his second consecutive 68, and Rory McIlroy bounced back from an opening 72 with a 67 to comfortably safely make the cut.

For the German contingent, however, weekend action is out of reach. Twenty-one-year-old amateur Tim Wiedemeyer followed his opening 73 with another steady effort, while 22-year-old Hamburg native Tiger Christensen carded twin 75s, seeing both players exit before the weekend rounds.

## Sources

- [CroDodo - Domagoj Skledar](https://karlobag.eu/en/sports/lucas-herbert-makes-open-history-with-a-record-61-after-a-stunning-front-nine-at-9nng1/) — original
- [RP ONLINE](https://rp-online.de/sport/golf/golfer-herbert-mit-rekord-an-die-spitze-der-british-open_aid-151689365) — original
- [dk-online.de](https://www.dk-online.de/sport/weitere-sportarten/artikel/golfer-herbert-mit-rekord-an-die-spitze-der-british-open-50939605) — original
- [Mark Schlabach](https://www.espn.in/golf/story/_/id/49383855/lucas-herbert-matches-major-record-62-open-championship) — original
- [golfdigest.com](https://www.golfdigest.com/story/british-open-2026-lucas-herbert-matches-nine-hole-scoring-record) — original
- [Jay Hart Senior editor Fri, July 17, 2026 at 11:13 AM UTC · 2 min read](https://sports.yahoo.com/golf/article/the-open-championship-lucas-herbert-makes-history-104635805.html) — original
- [sueddeutsche.de](https://www.sueddeutsche.de/sport/golf-golfer-herbert-mit-rekord-an-die-spitze-der-british-open-dpa.urn-newsml-dpa-com-20090101-260717-930-402411) — original