Herbert leads British Open golf, equals record lowest score at a major

What the report says

Al Jazeera, citing Reuters, reported that Australia’s Lucas Herbert seized the halfway lead at the 154th Open Championship on Friday, July 17, 2026, after shooting a second-round 62 at Royal Birkdale Golf Club near Southport, England. The round left Herbert at eight under par and two shots clear at the British Open, while also matching the lowest score ever recorded in a men’s major championship.

Herbert narrowly missed the chance to become the first man to post a 61 in a major, failing to convert a five-foot putt on the 18th hole. Al Jazeera reported that American Sam Burns also shot 62 shortly afterward, making it an unusually low-scoring day on a firm, sunny Royal Birkdale layout. Herbert’s round joined previous major 62s by Branden Grace, Rickie Fowler, Xander Schauffele and Shane Lowry.

The leaderboard shifted late after Bryson DeChambeau, initially set to be nearer the lead, received a two-stroke penalty from the R&A. Officials ruled he had unintentionally improved the area of his intended swing by pressing down long grass after his ball landed in rough on the fifth hole. DeChambeau ended the day among the group at five under, alongside Burns and South Korea’s Kim Si-woo.

Jackson Suber, Cameron Young and Ryan Gerard were reported as Herbert’s closest pursuers at six under. Defending champion Scottie Scheffler remained in contention at four under, while Rory McIlroy made the cut after a 67 left him seven strokes behind. The result matters because Herbert, a LIV Golf player, now enters the weekend in position to contend for one of golf’s four major titles.