Lucas Herbert drops 62 at Royal Birkdale to match major mark
The Australian fired an 8-under second round at The Open, taking a two-shot lead despite a closing bogey on Royal Birkdale’s toughest hole.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
Lucas Herbert came within one putt of an even rarer bit of golf history Friday, then settled for a 62 that still put his name alongside the lowest rounds ever shot in a men’s major.
ESPN reported that the Australian posted an 8-under second round at the 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England, becoming the sixth men’s player to record a 62 in a major championship.
Herbert, ranked No. 97 in the world, finished the round at 8 under for the tournament and held a two-shot lead over Jackson Suber, according to ESPN. Suber shot a 1-under 69 and was 6 under after 36 holes.
The round had a wild little sting at the end. ESPN reported that Herbert reached the par-4 18th at 9 under for the day, with the hole playing as the hardest on the course. His tee shot sailed right into native area, and his ball finished beneath a security railing.
After receiving relief, Herbert played from 173 yards and left the ball about 15 feet short of the green, according to ESPN. He putted from off the putting surface to five feet, but missed the par attempt and took his only bogey of the round.
There was another escape act one hole earlier. On the par-5 17th, ESPN reported, Herbert pulled his 202-yard approach left into native area between the grandstands. He chipped over a mound to 10 feet and two-putted to keep par on the card.
A front-nine heater
Herbert did most of the damage early in fast, dry conditions with no wind, according to ESPN. He birdied each of his first three holes, then added more birdies at Nos. 5, 7 and 9.
That sent him out in 6-under 28, matching the lowest nine-hole score in Open Championship history, ESPN reported.
The charge kept rolling after the turn. Herbert made consecutive birdies at Nos. 11 and 12, then followed three pars by hitting his approach at the par-4 16th to seven feet and converting the birdie putt to reach 9 under for the round.
Joining a very short list
ESPN reported that five other golfers had previously shot 62 in a men’s major. The most recent were Xander Schauffele and Shane Lowry, who did it in the first and third rounds, respectively, at the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky.
Branden Grace of South Africa was the first player to record a 62 in a men’s major, doing it in the third round of the 2017 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, according to ESPN.
Herbert is a member of Ripper GC, the all-Australian team in the LIV Golf League. ESPN reported that he won a LIV Golf event wire to wire on May 10 at Trump National Golf Club in Potomac Falls, Virginia.
Before joining LIV Golf, Herbert won the 2021 Butterfield Bermuda Championship and claimed three titles on the DP World Tour, according to ESPN.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.