Sam Burns Joins Record‑Tie at 2026 Open

Record‑Tyous 62s Pile Up

Lucas Herbert posted a historic 62 at Royal Birkdale, matching a long‑standing benchmark. Sam Burns followed with his own 62, completing a rare double on the same day. Both players now sit alongside a select group that includes Branden Grace, Rickie Fowler, Shane Lowry and Xander Schauffele (two of his own) as the only men to card a 62 in a major championship. Six of the seven 62s in men’s major history have occurred since the 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club, underscoring a new era of low scoring. The 2023 U.S. Open, the 2024 PGA Championship and now the 2026 Open have each featured two rounds of 62, a striking coincidence.

Burns’ Unexpected Comeback Story

Sam Burns never expected to be at Royal Birkdale this week. His wife Caroline’s pregnancy had him planning to skip the Open after the July U.S. Open. A premature birth on July 3 cleared the way for Burns to join his sixth straight Open and seize his chance at history. He opened three strokes over par on Thursday and turned the tables with a bogey‑free round highlighted by six birdies, the last one a clutch bunker save on the 18th. Burns described the difference as “11 shots” that he couldn’t fully explain, crediting luck and opportunism on both the front and back nines.

What 62 Means for Majors Going Forward

A 62 in a major is now a measurable milestone that instantly moves a player into elite company. With Herbert and Burns both achieving the mark on the same day, the 2026 Open joins the 2023 U.S. Open as the only tournaments where two players have matched the low round on a single score. The surge of 62s—six in a little over a year—suggests that course conditions, equipment advances and player preparation are aligning to produce historic scores. As the tour heads into the PGA Championship and the next Open, fans can expect more attempts to chase an elusive sub‑60 round, but for now the 62 remains a defining statistic in modern golf. The feat also reinforces how a single exceptional round can redefine a player’s legacy in the sport’s grand stages.