EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsSOUTHPORT, England -- Australia's Lucas Herbert posted an 8-under 62 in the second round of the 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale Golf Club on Friday, becoming the sixth men's golfer to record that score in a major championship.Herbert, who is ranked 97th in the world, was 9 under heading into the par-4 18th, which is playing as the most difficult hole on the course. Herbert made things even harder when he badly sliced his drive into the native area on the right.Herbert's ball ended up under a security railing and he was given relief. His approach from 173 yards stopped about 15 feet below the green, leaving him an up and down to make history. Herbert putted from off the green to five feet, but then missed the par putt and made his only bogey of the round.The 30-year-old also ran into trouble on the par-5 17th when he pulled his approach from 202 yards to the left. His ball stopped in the native area between the grandstands. Herbert chipped over a mound to 10 feet and two-putted from there to save par.Herbert has a 2-stroke lead over Jackson Suber, who carded a 1-under 69 to get to 6 under after 36 holes.Five other golfers have recorded a 62 in a major, most recently by Xander Schauffele and Shane Lowry in the first and third rounds, respectively, in the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky.South Africa's Branden Grace was the first golfer to make a 62 in the third round of the 2017 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.Playing in fast and dry conditions with absolutely no wind, Herbert had birdies on each of his first three holes and Nos. 5, 7 and 9 to make the turn at 6-under 28, equaling the record for the lowest nine-hole score at The Open.On the back nine, Herbert had back-to-back birdies on Nos. 11 and 12 to get to 8 under. After three straight pars, he hit his approach on the par-4 16th to 7 feet and made another birdie putt to get to 9 under.Herbert is a member of the LIV Golf League's all-Australian Ripper GC team. On May 10, he was a wire-to-wire winner in the LIV Golf tournament at Trump National Golf Club in Potomac Falls, Virginia.Herbert won the 2021 Butterfield Bermuda Championship and was a three-time winner on the DP World Tour before joining the LIV Golf League.
