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LAST UPDATE | 1 hr ago
A REMARKABLE SECOND round at The Open saw Lucas Herbert and Sam Burns both equal the record for the lowest score in a major within minutes of each other.
A bogey at the last cost Australian Herbert his place in history with a new mark after a run of nine birdies but his 62 – recorded by four other men – propelled him into a two-shot lead at Royal Birkdale.
Incredibly, within 20 minutes American Burns holed out from a greenside bunker on 18 for his sixth birdie on the back nine to also post the same number, having covered the front nine in two under.
And even more remarkably it was the second time in three years two players separated by just one group had posted record-equalling scores, matching the feat of Xander Schauffele and Rickie Fowler in the 2023 US Open at Los Angeles Country Club.
That pair had followed the first man to achieve a 62: South African Branden Grace in the third round at the par-70 Birkdale in 2017.
Schauffele repeated the feat, along with Ireland’s Shane Lowry, in the 2024 US PGA Championship at Valhalla.
Lowry remains firmly in contention here, three-under for the tournament – five back and tied for 11th – after a second-round 68. The Offaly man had just one bogey, on the 17th, with birdies on the first, ninth and 18th.
Rory McIlroy is one-under overall after signing for 67. The Masters champion should make the protected cut of even-par, with birdies on the second, eighth, ninth, 14th helping improve his fortunes. His only dropped shot of the day arrived on hole six.
Bizarrely, Herbert failed to take advantage of the two back-nine par fives, before a drive into the rough and then a missed five-footer at the 18th brought his first bogey.
The 30-year-old covered the front nine in just 28 strokes, equalling Denis Durnian’s 1983 Open record, to get to six under and came home in 33 to move two ahead of overnight leader Jackson Suber, who shot a 69.
Herbert, whose previous best round at The Open was a 67 at St Andrews in 2022, missed a 10-foot birdie putt at the 17th, having also parred the other par five.
Coincidentally, a new record was set in women’s majors only last Saturday when Haeran Ryu shot 60 at the Evian Championship.
More to follow…
Written by Press Association and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.
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