Sam Burns takes two-shot Open lead into Royal Birkdale finale
ESPN’s leaderboard shows Burns at 10 under after round three, with Ryan Fox and Si Woo Kim closest as the Claret Jug race tightens.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
Sam Burns will sleep on the Open Championship lead after a Saturday 65 at Royal Birkdale, where ESPN’s leaderboard has him two shots clear with one round left in Southport, England.
Burns sits at 10 under after three rounds of the 154th Open, ahead of New Zealand’s Ryan Fox and South Korea’s Si Woo Kim, both at 8 under. Ryan Gerard and Lucas Herbert are next at 7 under, with Ludvig Åberg, Bryson DeChambeau and J. Suber at 6 under.
The stakes are neat and nasty: ESPN reported that each of the past 11 Open winners was within four shots entering the final round, and each of the past 25 Claret Jug winners began Sunday inside the top 10. That puts plenty of names in the danger zone behind Burns.
Burns gets another shot at a major
Burns is chasing his first major title after recent near-misses. ESPN reported he was second at last month’s U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills and also led after 54 holes at the 2024 U.S. Open at Oakmont before tying for seventh.
His game has been sharp at Birkdale. According to ESPN, Burns hit 17 of 18 greens in regulation in the third round and has gained more than six strokes on approach through 54 holes.
Burns also arrived with family timing in the background. ESPN reported he had been unsure about playing because of the expected birth of his daughter, Belle, who was born July 3, before his wife, Caroline, encouraged him to go.
After Saturday’s 5-under round, Burns said he cannot control what the field does and expects someone to shoot low Sunday. “I'm going to have to go out and execute,” he said, according to ESPN.
Fox storms in with a record-tying 62
Fox made the biggest Saturday charge, shooting 62 in calm morning conditions. ESPN reported it made him the eighth golfer, and the third this week, to post a 62 in a major championship round.
Fox hit 15 of 18 greens, used 25 putts and made nine birdies against one bogey, according to ESPN. He also brings recent closing form: ESPN noted he won the OneFlight Myrtle Beach Classic in a playoff last year and later beat Burns in a playoff at the RBC Canadian Open.
Fox said he plans to keep the same style Sunday, telling ESPN he will “pick shots and try to hit them” and stay aggressive.
Kim and the pack keep the heat on
Kim has climbed with back-to-back 67s, according to ESPN. He entered the week ranked No. 21 in the Official World Golf Ranking and has 11 top-25 finishes in 19 starts this season, including runner-up finishes at the Farmers Insurance Open and CJ Cup Byron Nelson.
His irons are the selling point. ESPN reported Kim ranks third on the PGA Tour in strokes gained on approach and has gained about 4.5 strokes in that category this week. His putting, however, has been unusually hot after entering the week ranked 99th in strokes gained putting.
Gerard, in his second full PGA Tour season, is at 7 under. ESPN reported he won the 2025 Barracuda Championship and has three runner-up finishes this season, including a playoff loss at the Memorial.
Herbert is also 7 under after a 71 on Saturday, one day after a 62 that matched the major record. ESPN reported he recently won a LIV Golf event in Potomac Falls, Virginia, but has yet to record a top-10 finish in a major.
Åberg and DeChambeau are four back at 6 under. ESPN reported Åberg has gained strokes in every major category this week, while DeChambeau remains in the mix after receiving a two-shot penalty Friday from The R&A for improving his swing path before a shot on the fifth hole.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.