Golf’s Most Amazing Round! A Player Just Tied the Lowest Score in Major History
Quick Summary
Australian golfer Lucas Herbert played one of the greatest rounds of golf ever seen at a major championship. He shot an 8-under-par 62 on Friday at the British Open, tying the all-time record. Now he leads the tournament heading into the weekend!
What Happened?
The 2026 British Open — also called The Open Championship — is being played at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England. It is golf’s oldest major tournament, held for the 154th time this year.
On Friday, Lucas Herbert, a 30-year-old golfer from Australia, went out and played what might be the round of his life. He made six birdies in a row on just the first nine holes — starting with three straight birdies right from hole one. A birdie means finishing a hole one stroke better than expected.
His front nine score of 28 matched the lowest nine-hole score in British Open history. He kept the hot play going on the back nine, adding three more birdies. He needed just two more pars on the final two holes to break the all-time record — but a missed putt on the last hole gave him a bogey instead. He still finished with an 8-under 62, tying the record rather than breaking it.
Amazingly, American golfer Sam Burns also shot a 62 the same day! Burns chipped in from a bunker on the final hole to tie Herbert’s score. It was the first time in golf history that two players shot 62 in the same round of a major.
Herbert now leads the British Open with two rounds still to play on Saturday and Sunday. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is four strokes behind. Before the tournament, Herbert was ranked only 97th in the world — so this is a huge moment for him!
Why Does It Matter?
A score of 62 in a major championship is like a student getting a perfect score on the hardest test in school — on their first try. Major tournaments attract the very best golfers on the planet. The courses are set up to be brutally difficult. To score eight under par in those conditions is almost unthinkable.
The only other players ever to shoot 62 in a men’s major are Branden Grace (2017 British Open, also at Royal Birkdale!), Rickie Fowler, Shane Lowry, and Xander Schauffele. Now Herbert and Burns join that tiny, legendary list.
Big Words
- Par — the number of strokes a skilled golfer is expected to need to finish a hole; the goal is to match or beat par
- Birdie — finishing a hole one stroke fewer than par; very good!
- Bogey — finishing a hole one stroke more than par; a small mistake
- Links course — a golf course built on sandy, grassy land near the sea, often with no trees but lots of wind and bumpy ground
- Major championship — one of golf’s four most important tournaments each year: The Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open, and The Open Championship
Fun Fact
Royal Birkdale has hosted The Open Championship many times before. In 2017, South Africa’s Branden Grace became the first golfer to shoot 62 in any major — also at Birkdale. Now Herbert has matched that score on the exact same course, nine years later!
Think About It
Imagine you are playing your favorite sport and you just had the best game of your life. How would you stay calm and focused the next day, knowing you have to do it all over again?
Sources
- Golf Channel — British Open 2026: Despite closing bogey, Lucas Herbert ties two major records with blistering second round at Birkdale
- Bleacher Report — Lucas Herbert, Sam Burns Tie Major Championship Record with 2nd-Round 62s at British Open
- Yahoo Sports — The Open Championship Friday live updates, leaderboard
- Central Oregon Daily / USA TODAY Sports — Open Championship Round 2 leaderboard, scores: Scheffler chases underdog Suber