Lucas Herbert ‘disappointed’ but proud after record-equalling round of 62 at British Open
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Australia’s Lucas Herbert reacts after missing the par putt on the 18th hole during Round 2 of the British Open on July 17.
PHOTO: EPA
- Lucas Herbert shot a second-round 62 at the British Open, equalling the lowest round in men's major history but missed a putt to set a new record.
- Herbert felt both disappointment and pride, acknowledging the historic significance and his strong position leading the tournament.
- American Sam Burns also shot 62, matching Herbert's score, but remained three shots behind the leader after his final hole chip-in.
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SOUTHPORT, England - Self-confessed golf nerd Lucas Herbert admitted being disappointed with only carding a second-round 62 at Royal Birkdale on July 17 to lead the British Open.
The 30-year-old Australian had a five-foot par putt on the 18th green for a nine-under 61 which would have been the lowest-ever round in the history of men’s majors.
His putt slid by the hole though and he had to settle for a share of the record that was shortly afterwards matched by American Sam Burns who chipped in on the 18th.
“Even that whole back nine today, it was not lost on me the amount of history in major championships and the opportunity I had to obviously break the record,” Herbert, who plays on the LIV Golf tour, told reporters on a remarkable day of scoring on the sun-baked links course on the Merseyside coast.
“I’m absolutely disappointed, and at the same time very proud to put my name on that list of guys that have shot 62 in a major championship. So it’s kind of holding two emotions there at the same time. It’s a tricky one, and I’m sure once the dust settles, I’ll be able to sort of decompress it.
“Right now, I’ve sort of got both going on, and it’s a pretty good problem to have too, to be disappointed you shot 62.”
Bendigo-born Herbert began his second round in benign conditions and said he began thinking about the major record after starting with three successive birdies.
Lucky break
“I thought (about) it when I hit it to about five feet on the third hole. I’m a golf nerd anyway, so I know all the numbers, all the records, everything like that,” he said.
“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.
“I knew the record was there. The record is always going to be there, whether it’s 62, whether it goes to 61 or 60. I just wanted to get really caught up in that at the time.”
Herbert missed a birdie to go 10 under on the par-five 17th and after getting a lucky break with a wayward tee shot at the last he was faced with an up-and-down to make history.
Sadly, his putt slid just past the hole.
“I didn’t hit a bad putt. I can at least sleep easy tonight knowing I didn’t hit a bad putt, I just misread it,” he said.
“It’s pretty tough when you’ve got to putt for the major championship record to get everything to work and to get everything to sync perfectly still and straight.”
His 62 matched the rounds of South Africa’s Branden Grace at the 2017 Open, also at Royal Birkdale, and those of Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele at the 2023 US Open and by Schauffele and Shane Lowry at the 2024 PGA Championship.
Grace’s came on the third round in 2017 when he was not a serious title contender, whereas Herbert’s has put him in charge of The Open at the halfway point.
“I would love to tick off more than shooting 62. I’ve got a great opportunity. I’m looking forward to getting after it on the weekend,” he said.
With all eyes focused on Herbert, Burns’ progress went almost unnoticed until his chip-in at the 18th.
“I had no idea (I had equalled the record) until they told me up there. I didn’t realise that was the case. I’m very pleased with it,” Burns, who is three behind Herbert, said.
“I caught myself by surprise.” REUTERS
