Lucas Herbert makes Open history: after a record 28 on the front nine, he finishes the round with an incredible 61
Australian golfer Lucas Herbert marked the second day of the 154th edition of The Open Championship with a performance that immediately entered the history books of golf's oldest major tournament. On Friday, July 17, 2026, he completed the front nine at Royal Birkdale in Southport in only 28 strokes, six under par for that section of the course. In doing so, he equalled the lowest nine-hole score in the history of The Open, a record that Englishman Denis Durnian had held alone for more than four decades. Herbert did not stop there: he played the back nine in 33 and signed for a round of 61, nine under par, setting a new record for the lowest round in the history of men's major championships. The previous mark was 62, first reached by Branden Grace at Royal Birkdale during The Open in 2017.
According to the tournament's official live tracking and reports from the course, Herbert recorded nine birdies without a single bogey throughout the round. He launched his attack with birdies on the first three holes, continued on the fifth and seventh, and completed his historic front nine with another birdie at the ninth. The final stroke in that sequence, a chip-in from the fringe beyond the putting surface itself, confirmed the score of 28 and prompted one of the strongest reactions from the crowd during the tournament up to that point. On the back nine, he added birdies at the 11th, 12th and 16th holes, while a par on the demanding final hole secured his record 61. After opening with 70 strokes on Thursday, Herbert therefore moved to a total score of nine under par and took a commanding clubhouse lead.
Six birdies and a perfectly exploited morning surge
Herbert entered the second round after an opening 70, a level-par score, so his rise was not the result of an advantage built on the first day. He completed the opening round with several fluctuations, but also with a sufficiently steady overall score to remain in touch with the leaders. On Friday, however, he showed a completely different rhythm from the first stroke. Birdies on the first, second and third holes immediately moved him to three under par, while another gain at the fifth confirmed that this was not merely a brief surge. After pars at the sixth and eighth, birdies at the seventh and ninth completed one of the most efficient nine-hole stretches ever witnessed at this tournament.
The early conditions at Royal Birkdale were more favourable than during parts of the first round, with lighter winds and an opportunity for players to attack the flags more aggressively. Nevertheless, the mere fact that only one player before Herbert had managed to play nine holes in 28 strokes in more than a century and a half of Open history shows that the weather cannot be the only explanation. Herbert had to take advantage of almost every realistic opportunity, avoid trouble in the deep bunkers and rough, and maintain his composure after each new birdie. Such runs often end as soon as a player begins thinking about the record, but the Australian found another stroke under par at the ninth hole precisely under the greatest pressure. His reaction after holing the shot was brief and controlled, but the score on the leaderboard clearly demonstrated the scale of what he had just achieved.
Denis Durnian set a benchmark in 1983 that lasted for 43 years
Until July 17, 2026, Denis Durnian had been the only golfer to complete nine holes at The Open in fewer than 29 strokes. The English professional recorded 28 on the front nine during the second round of the 112th edition of the championship, held at Royal Birkdale from July 14 to 17, 1983. According to data from The Open and the DP World Tour, that performance remained his best result in major championships, and he finished the tournament tied for eighth place. For decades, Durnian's record stood out as a statistical anomaly, even during an era of major technological changes in equipment, course preparation and players' physical conditioning. Herbert has now become only the second member of that exceptionally exclusive group.
The connection between the two scores does not end with the number 28. Both were achieved on Royal Birkdale's front nine and both came during the second round of the tournament. Durnian's historic day in 1983 was part of an Open won by Tom Watson, for the fifth time in his career, while Herbert's score came in an edition featuring a generation of players from several different professional systems and tour environments. Although the course has changed over the decades, the fundamental requirement has remained the same: control the ball through narrow corridors between the sand dunes and accept that one poor position can erase several previous excellent strokes. For that reason, equalling Durnian's record carries a significance that extends beyond the temporary standings after nine holes.
Royal Birkdale once again becomes the stage for a major record
Royal Birkdale is one of the best-known links courses in The Open rotation, and the 2026 edition is the 11th time that the club in Southport, England, has hosted the men's championship. According to data from the PGA Tour and the tournament organisers, the course was set up as a par 70 for this year's competition, with a total length of 7,223 yards. The course is known for its demanding bunkers, undulating approaches to the greens and the possibility that the wind can completely change how an individual hole must be played within a short period. Unlike some more open links courses, many holes at Birkdale run between dunes, so a player often has a clearly defined corridor but very little margin for error. Herbert's 28 was therefore not merely a sequence of successful putts, but the result of control across the entire range of shots.
Birkdale already holds a special place in the history of low scores at major championships. South African Branden Grace played a 62, eight under par, there during the third round of The Open in 2017 and became the first golfer to sign for a round of 62 in a men's major championship. According to The Open's official archive, Grace recorded eight birdies without a bogey and played the record-breaking round on his way to a sixth-place finish. Jordan Spieth won the title that same year after one of the most memorable final-round battles in the tournament's recent history. The fact that both Durnian's 28 and Grace's 62 were achieved at Royal Birkdale further emphasises this difficult course's unusual relationship with records: most of the time it punishes even the smallest mistake, but in rare moments of perfect play it allows scores that redefine the limits of what had previously been seen.
From level par to a direct battle for the lead
Before the start of the second round, Herbert was not among the group receiving most of the attention. American Jackson Suber opened the championship with a 65 and took the lead after the first day, while numerous stars remained tightly grouped several strokes behind him. Herbert's 70 meant that the Australian needed to find a low round quickly if he wanted to enter serious contention for the title. That is exactly what happened: six birdies over the first nine holes erased the entire deficit, while three more on the back nine turned him into the leader at nine under par. When he completed his round, he held a three-stroke advantage over Suber, who followed his Thursday 65 with a 69 and posted a clubhouse score of six under par.
Such a leap up the leaderboard is also important because of the structure of a major tournament. The cut follows 36 holes, after which two final rounds are played in which weather conditions, flag positions and the pressure within the leading groups differ significantly from the beginning of the competition. An early attack can secure a player a more favourable position, but it does not guarantee that the advantage will survive until Sunday, particularly because a significant part of the field was still on the course when Herbert handed in his card. His 61 nevertheless completely changed the dynamics of the championship: the contenders were no longer following only the score of the first-round leader, but also the new lowest round ever played in a men's major. From that moment onward, every attempt to move closer to the top also involved confronting a score that had not existed in the historical records before Friday.
The road to Royal Birkdale led through New Zealand
Herbert's place in the field for the 154th Open was not automatic. According to the tournament's official profile, he qualified through the Open Qualifying Series thanks to a second-place finish at the 2026 New Zealand Open. One place at that event was reserved for the highest-placed player who had not already secured an appearance at The Open. Winner Daniel Hillier was already qualified, so the invitation to Royal Birkdale went to Herbert. That route to the championship adds further significance to his performance, because only a few months after fighting for one of the final available qualifying places, he reached the leading position on the biggest links stage.
For Herbert, this is his sixth appearance at The Open. According to official data from the organisers, his best previous result was a tie for 15th place at the 150th edition of the tournament at St Andrews in 2022. Such experience means he understands the specific demands of links golf, but the record round at Birkdale represents a new level of exposure and pressure. Players who break through to the top early must adjust their routines as the number of spectators, media attention and time spent waiting for the next shots increase. Herbert showed on Friday that, at least during the initial phase, that transition did not disrupt his rhythm.
The Australian arrived at Royal Birkdale with an important victory from 2026
The 30-year-old Herbert has been a professional since 2015 and has victories on several continents and different tours behind him. According to DP World Tour data, he won three titles on that tour at the 2020 Dubai Desert Classic, the 2021 Irish Open and the 2023 ISPS Handa Championship. In 2024, he joined LIV Golf and the Australian team Ripper GC. In May 2026, he won LIV Golf Virginia, his first individual title in that league, completing the tournament with a total score of 24 under par and a four-stroke advantage. LIV Golf's official report states that he led from start to finish, an important indicator of his ability to preserve an advantage over multiple rounds.
Victory in Virginia did not automatically mean that he would transfer the same form of play to a links course in north-west England. The differences in the surface, wind, ball-flight height and types of shots around the greens are substantial, while major championships further increase the demands. Nevertheless, Herbert's score of 28 showed that he arrived at Royal Birkdale with a game capable of producing extremely low stretches. His power from the tee can create short approaches, but on Friday the decisive factor was his ability to convert those opportunities into birdies. In golf, record rounds are rarely built on one spectacular shot; more often, they are the result of repeatedly making precise decisions, judging distances well and putting calmly, and Herbert's front nine had exactly that structure.
Why a score of 28 is so rare at The Open
At first glance, six under par over nine holes may appear comparable to scores that occasionally occur at regular professional tournaments. The context of The Open, however, significantly changes the meaning of the number. Links courses are exposed to changing winds, firm ground and unpredictable bounces, while flag positions at major championships are set to demand precision rather than distance alone. A player must control the height and direction of the ball, understand how it will behave after first contact with the ground and simultaneously avoid bunkers from which it is often impossible to attack the flag directly. A run of six birdies without a dropped stroke therefore requires both technical quality and an almost complete absence of major mistakes.
Herbert also achieved the record on a course that is not regarded as a classic venue for consistently low scores. The history of winning totals at Royal Birkdale shows that the championship can finish with a very modest overall score under par, especially when wind and rain increase the course's difficulty. The record 28 does not mean that the course was easy for the entire field, but that one player found an almost perfect combination of form and conditions during a particular period. That distinction is crucial when comparing statistics: Herbert did not merely play a superb nine holes, but reached a mark that no one had moved since 1983.
The record created the greatest opportunity of his career so far
By equalling Durnian's record, Herbert secured a permanent place in the history of The Open, and with his final score of 61 he went one step further. This is no longer only about the best nine holes at this championship, but the lowest complete round ever recorded in men's major golf. More importantly for him, the historic score transformed a good start to the tournament into a realistic opportunity to contend for a first major title. An advantage created during one round can disappear quickly over the weekend at Royal Birkdale, especially if the wind strengthens or a player ends up in one of the deep sand bunkers. The continuation of the tournament will therefore require a different type of discipline: the ability to accept pars, avoid large numbers and remain patient when the conditions stop offering obvious opportunities.
For his rivals, Herbert's surge was a warning that the standings can change in only a few holes. For the spectators, it was a reminder of why The Open can still produce a result without a true precedent even after 154 editions. Royal Birkdale once again connected the present with history: Durnian's 28 from 1983, Grace's 62 from 2017, and Herbert's 28 and final 61 from 2026 now belong to the same story of a course that simultaneously punishes and rewards brave, precise play. Whether the Australian golfer can turn his historic round into victory and lift the Claret Jug will be decided by the remainder of the championship and the pressure of the final groups over the weekend. What has already been confirmed is that on Friday, July 17, he established two marks that will be mentioned in every future discussion about the greatest rounds in golf history.
Sources:
- The Open – official leaderboard tracking and Herbert's record performance in the second round (link)
- The Open – Lucas Herbert's official profile, qualifying route and previous championship appearances (link)
- The Open – archive of the 112th championship at Royal Birkdale in 1983 (link)
- DP World Tour – information about Denis Durnian and his score of 28 at Royal Birkdale (link)
- The Open – historical review of Branden Grace's round of 62 in 2017 (link)
- PGA Tour – facts about the 154th Open, the course, par and length of Royal Birkdale (link)
- DP World Tour – Herbert's professional profile and overview of titles won (link)
- The Guardian – live report on the completion of Herbert's record round of 61 (link)
- LIV Golf – official report on Herbert's victory in Virginia in 2026 (link)