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Sam Burns Leads Birkdale; Herbert 62, DeChambeau Penalized

7/19/2026

48 5 Full Breakdown

Summary

Burns Takes Lead

Sam Burns holds a two-shot lead at Royal Birkdale after posting a five-under 65 Saturday.
Lucas Herbert shot 62 on Friday, the fifth 62 at a major, then missed a short par putt on the 18th.
Bryson DeChambeau recorded a 62, received a two-shot penalty, and later shot 69, leaving him four strokes behind.
Rory McIlroy called DeChambeau “performative,” said he held the tournament hostage, and was at two under.

Summary

Burns On Air

USA will broadcast the final round at 4 a.m. ET, NBC at 7 a.m. ET, and coverage will continue until 2 p.m. ET.
Peacock will simulcast NBC while the Golf Channel Mobile app streams the round live.
Betting odds list Sam Burns at 14-1, Si Woo Kim at 9/2 and Ryan Fox at 8-1.
Burns said his daughter Belle was born on July 3 and he looks forward to returning home after the tournament.

Summary

Burns Sets Record

Sam Burns matched the major-championship record with a 62 on Friday.
His 65 on Saturday gave a 127 total for rounds two and three, the lowest consecutive-round score in men’s majors, while Ryan Fox, Si Woo Kim and Lucas Herbert also shot 62s, tying the historic low.
Analysts say the record number of sub-63 rounds, reflecting near-perfect course setup and weather, could reshape expectations for future Open Championships.

Summary

Fox Matches Record

Ryan Fox, son of a former All Blacks player, opened with a front-nine 29, matching the Open’s lowest front-nine score.
He later posted a back-nine 29, tying the joint-lowest back-nine score he first set at Royal Portrush in 2019.
He said his aggressive strategy includes accepting “scruffy shots” on the back nine.
On the 18th hole he sand-shot from a bunker onto the green for par.

History

Historical Context

In July 1977 the Open moved to Turnberry, where Mark Hayes posted a 63—the first sub-64 round in Open history, while Tom Watson won the championship by one stroke over Jack Nicklaus in the famed “Duel in the Sun.” The 2024 Open at Royal Birkdale has already seen three players shoot 62, eclipsing Hayes’s mark and showing how modern setups reward aggressive play.

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Burns Takes Lead

Sam Burns holds a two-shot lead at Royal Birkdale after posting a five-under 65 Saturday.
Lucas Herbert shot 62 on Friday, the fifth 62 at a major, then missed a short par putt on the 18th.
Bryson DeChambeau recorded a 62, received a two-shot penalty, and later shot 69, leaving him four strokes behind.
Rory McIlroy called DeChambeau “performative,” said he held the tournament hostage, and was at two under.

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