There is a specific, dizzying mathematics to links golf when the wind dies and the fairways turn bone-brown. At Royal Birkdale during the third round of the 2026 British Open, that math yielded something close to an absolute offensive explosion. New Zealand’s Ryan Fox became the third player in as many days—and the eighth in the history of men's major championships—to sign for a record-tying 62.
Playing alongside Xander Schauffele in an early-morning slot with barely a breath of wind stirring over Southport, Fox attacked the par-70 layout with ruthless intent. He made five birdies on the front nine alone, capping a blistering outward half of 29. Even a lone bogey on the 13th—where his drive found a treacherous pot bunker—failed to stall the momentum. Fox added birdies on two of his final three holes, including a vital wedge from the rough on the par-5 17th that rolled out to four feet, before setting up a theatrical finish on the 18th.
The Millimeter Margin on 18
Fox’s drive on the final hole drifted into a pot bunker off the fairway, introducing an extra layer of tension to his historic card. Facing a difficult lie, he managed to hack the ball clear and find the putting surface, leaving himself a monstrous birdie putt of nearly 50 feet for an outright record 61. He left the attempt five feet short, but calmly drained the par putt to secure his place in the record books.
That dramatic near-miss echoed the experience of Australian Lucas Herbert just 24 hours earlier. Herbert carded his own 62 on Friday before bending over with his hands on his knees after missing a 5-foot par putt on the 18th that would have given him a 61. I didn't hit a bad putt. I can at least sleep easy tonight knowing I didn't hit a bad putt,
Herbert reflected, describing the unique psychological torture of staring down a historical scoring barrier. Sam Burns had matched that scoring feat earlier on Friday with a 62 of his own, holing a brilliant bunker shot on the final hole to cap a remarkable surge.
Royal Birkdale’s Unique Place in Major History
The numbers underscore just how anomalous the conditions at Royal Birkdale have been. Prior to this week, a score of 62 had been achieved only five times across all men's major championships:
- Branden Grace: 2017 British Open (Royal Birkdale)
- Rickie Fowler & Xander Schauffele: 2023 U.S. Open (Los Angeles Country Club)
- Xander Schauffele & Shane Lowry: 2024 PGA Championship (Valhalla Golf Club)
Royal Birkdale now lays claim to half of the eight 62s in men's major history. While previous majors have occasionally seen benign weather produce low scoring—seven championship venues have previously yielded two rounds of 63 or lower—Birkdale is the first to surrender three rounds of 62 in a single championship week, with the final round still to play.
Tactical Execution and the Weekend Stakes
Leveraging his powerful driver and a background rooted in rugby heritage, Fox leaned heavily off the tee to dismantle the course's defenses. Barring the first and ninth holes, he hit driver aggressively, leaving himself short irons and wedge shots that repeatedly settled within 10 feet of the cup. His ball-striking precision contrasted sharply with the chaotic scoring environments seen elsewhere in the championship.
History sounds a cautionary note for the record-setters. Of the eight players who have carded a 62 in a men's major, only Xander Schauffele—at the 2024 PGA Championship—has successfully converted that historic round into a championship trophy. As the wind picked up and pin positions tightened during Saturday's afternoon wave, Fox found himself sitting two shots behind Burns heading into Sunday, with compatriot Kazuma Kobori also surging inside the top 20 at four under. For Fox, the 62 provides a permanent line in the record books; whether it yields a claret jug depends entirely on surviving the changing links weather on Sunday.
Sources
These sources formed the evidence pack for this article. Links open the original publisher; inclusion does not imply endorsement.
- 1news.co.nz original
- Julia Stumbaugh original
- wtop.com original
- Sportsnet Staff original
- RNZ | Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa original
- DOUG FERGUSON Sat, July 18, 2026 at 1:39 PM UTC · 1 min read original