Fans witness Open history as two players equal extraordinary record within minutes

It was a historic day at The Open Championship as two players tied the lowest score ever in a men's major Championship within only a matter of minutes.

Lucas Herbert looked to be the story of the weekend when he shot 62 during the second round on Friday, only for his extraordinary feat to be matched by Sam Burns later in the day.

The pair matched the record also held by Brandon Grace, Rickie Fowler, Xander Schauffele and Shane Lowry. What is even more remarkable is that other than Grace's record at Birkdale in 2017, the previous times a player has hit 62, they have been followed by a competitor matching the feat at the same event.

Fowler recorded 62 at the 2023 US Open, the same weekend Schauffele did it for the first time. A year later, both Schauffele and Lowry recorded 62 at the 2024 PGA Championship. It was only right then that Herbert's place in the history books was followed by an equally exceptional round from Burns.

Although the pair both made history at Royal Birkdale, it is by no means a guarantee of a tournament triumph. Of the five previous times a men's golfer has scored that low before, only Schauffele actually went on to win the tournament when he did so at the 2024 PGA Championship.

Herbert finished the second round out in the lead with a remarkable score of eight under, with Burns three shots behind on five under par. The pair are both well-positioned to fight for the title this weekend, but will be well aware that an early lead counts for very little at a major.

It was almost even better for Herbert as well, when he missed a five-foot putt at the last that would have seen him break the record and stand alone with a score of 61.

"I'm a golf nerd anyway, so I know all the numbers, all the records, everything like that," he said shortly afterwards.

"I don't play a schedule that is four majors a year consistently anyway, so the opportunities I do get to play majors, and you get an opportunity to get off to a hot start on a golf course that's a par 70 — not that I wanted the thoughts to come into my head, but it was honestly when it came in.

"So it was a bit of fun for the rest of the day just trying to acknowledge the fact that there was a chance but just to try to continue to go about what I was doing normally and naturally as best I could."