Lucas Herbert flirted with major championship golf history, missing a par putt to settle for a 62 in the second round of the Open Championship on July 17 in Southport, England.
A 62 is the lowest score for an 18-hole round in major championship play, which includes the Open Championship, the Masters, the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship. The lowest score in a PGA Tour event round is 58, done by Jim Furyk.
At 9-under par, Herbert teed off with a driver on the par-4 18th and hooked it way right, nearly bumping up against a fence along the fairway.
Herbert’s second shot came out of the rough clean and landed about 10 feet short of the green. The 18th hole was in the front half of the green and is protected by a dip.
With the putter, Herbert rolled the ball about 6 feet way from the hole. But he seemed to pull the par putt, having to settle for his only bogey on the day.
Herbert had a chance to get to 10-under par for the round after recovering from a wayward second shot on the par-5 17th. But his third shot, from a tamped-down section of the gallery, was a very good chip shot to within 8 feet of the hole. However, Herbert missed his birdie putt to the left.
Exceptional pitch from this spot by Lucas Herbert to set up another birdie look 🔥
We’re officially on 59 WATCH at Royal Birkdale 👀
Get to USA Network to see if he can do it pic.twitter.com/0bHotLPWHi
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) July 17, 2026
Herbert opened his second round with three straight birdies and was at 28 (six birdies, no bogeys) after nine holes. He birdied both 11 and 12 to make the record-setting score a possibility.
Lucas Herbert goes out in 28 (-6), equalling the record for the lowest nine-hole score at The Open. pic.twitter.com/KgJMzLPF9Q
— The Open (@TheOpen) July 17, 2026
Major championship golf scoring record
Five players in major championship history have shot 62, all within the last 10 years.
Branden Grace did so in the third round of the 2017 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. Both Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele shot 62s in the first round of the 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club. Schauffele did it again in the first round of the 2024 PGA Championship in Valhalla, and Shane Lowry equaled the feat in the third round of the same tournament.
Who is Lucas Herbert?
Herbert, 30, is from Peregian Beach, Queensland, Australia, and has seven professional golf wins on his resume. He was once both a member of the European Tour and PGA Tour, where he won the 2021 Bermuda Championship.
He has been playing on the LIV Golf Tour since 2024, where he won back in May.
Herbert’s best finish in a major was a tie for 13th in the 2022 PGA Championship. He had not made a cut in a major since the 2024 PGA, playing in only the U.S. Open this year before this week.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Lucas Herbert ties record with 62 in Round 2 of 2026 Open Championship
