Lucas Herbert shoots 62 at The Open 2026, nearly breaks major record
Consensus Summary
Lucas Herbert, a 30-year-old Australian golfer, stunned the field at The Open [DATE UNVERIFIED] by shooting a 62 in the second round at Royal Birkdale, equaling the lowest major round score in history. He birdied six of his opening nine holes, posting a six-under-par 28 on the front nine, matching Denis Durnianās 1983 record on the same course. Herbertās round included birdies on the 10th, 11th, and 12th holes, and he nearly broke the record with a 5-foot putt for par on the 18th, which he missed. His 62 made him the sixth golfer to shoot 62 in a major and the second to do so at The Open. Herbert now leads the tournament by two strokes, having joined LIV Golf in 2024 and won his first LIV event in Virginia in May. Despite the historic round, he expressed disappointment at missing the chance to shoot 61, though he remains proud of his achievement. The round also highlighted his strong mental comeback after walking away from golf three years prior due to exhaustion.
ā Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Lucas Herbert, a 30-year-old golfer, shot a 62 in the second round of The Open at Royal Birkdale, equaling the lowest major round score in history.
- Herbert finished at eight under par after rounds of 70 (first round) and 62 (second round).
- Herbert birdied six of his opening nine holes, posting a six-under-par 28 on the front nine.
- Herbert tied the lowest nine-hole score in Open history (28) on the front nine, matching Denis Durnianās 1983 score on Birkdaleās front nine.
- Herbertās 62 made him the sixth man to shoot 62 in a major and the second to do so at The Open (the original major).
- Herbert joined Brendan Grace, Rickie Fowler, Shane Lowry, and Xander Schauffele (twice) as the only men to score 62 in a major.
- Herbert had birdies on the 10th, 11th, and 12th holes, and also at the 16th, contributing to his strong round.
- Herbert missed a 5-foot putt for par on the 18th hole, finishing with a 62 instead of a potential 61.
- Herbert had not done better than T40 at a major since tying for 15th at the 2022 British Open.
- Herbert joined LIV Golf in 2024 and won his first LIV event in Virginia in May 2024.
- Herbertās caddie, Nick Pugh, was present during the round and later married Herbert and his wife.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Herbert holds a two-stroke lead over Jackson Suber, Ryan Gerard, and Cameron Young after the second round.
- Herbert had a chance to post a 61 but bogeyed the par 4 18th hole.
- Herbert walked away from golf three years ago due to mental exhaustion.
- Adam Scott carded a 66 in the second round, six shots off the pace.
- Herbert tied for 15th at the 2022 British Open, his best major finish since then.
- Herbertās round took place at 12 minutes past two on Friday afternoon.
- Herbertās caddie, Nick Pugh, stated he would have backed Herbert 100 times out of 100 to hole the putt for 61.
- Herbert referenced Chad Campbellās 2009 Masters attempt at 62 as an early golf memory.
- Herbertās drive on the 18th missed right, but he placed his approach shot just in front of the green.
- Herbertās second shot on the 18th was short of the putting surface, leaving him with a 5-foot putt for par.
- Herbertās 62 was the second in Open history to play a front or back nine in 28 strokes (28 on the front nine).
- Herbertās 14th hole was a par-five where he found sand after his drive.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The ABC states Herbert had birdies on the 11th, 12th, and 16th holes, while the Guardian lists birdies on the 10th, 11th, and 12th holes.
- The ABC mentions Herbert had a minor blemish on the back nine before finishing his round, while the Guardian describes signs of nerves on the penultimate hole (17th) with a whiffed shot into the crowd.
Source Articles
Australian stuns The Open with equal lowest round in major golf history
Australia's Lucas Herbert takes a shock lead at The Open after posting a stunning round where he birdied six of his opening nine holes.
Herbert ādisappointed but proudā after missing putt for record-breaking 61
Australian sets clubhouse lead at eight under after a 62 Sam Burns holed out on 18 to match milestone Five feet and three inches sat between Lucas Herbert and the making of history. Another distance was far, far more relevant; that between the Australian golferās ears. Thousands have tried to produce a 61 in the long, celebrated history of menās major championships. There is a reason no one has succeeded. Including, at 12 minutes past two on Friday afternoon, Herbert. No wonder his instant react