New Zealander Ryan Fox has made history at the 2026 Open Championship, becoming the third player in the tournament to shoot an eight-under 62 during the week. Fox’s performance in Saturday’s third round at Royal Birkdale Golf Club matched the men’s major championship single-round scoring record. Fox, 39, entered the day at even par and surged into a share of the lead at 8-under. He joined Australia’s Lucas Herbert and American Sam Burns on the short list of players who have carded a 62 in a major championship. This week marks the first time in history that three players have reached that mark in the same event.
A Record-Setting Pace at Royal Birkdale
Fox’s historic round featured a dominant start, during which he hit seven straight threes, including five birdies, on his first eight holes. Despite a bogey on the par-4 13th hole—where he hit his tee shot into a fairway bunker and his second into the rough—Fox recovered quickly. The course is brilliant.
Herbert and Burns had previously set the benchmark on Friday during the second round, playing in similar conditions with little to no wind on the firm links course.
Context of the Major Championship Record
The 62 is the lowest single-round score in men’s major championship history. According to reports, seven players have now achieved the feat eight times. Xander Schauffele is the only player to have recorded a 62 twice, having done so at the 2023 U.S. Open and the 2024 PGA Championship. Other players on the list include Branden Grace (2017 British Open), Rickie Fowler (2023 U.S. Open), and Shane Lowry (2024 PGA Championship). Of those who have shot a 62 in a major, only Fowler and Schauffele went on to win their respective tournaments. While the men’s record stands at 62, the lowest score in any major was recorded by Haeran Ryu, who shot an 11-under-par 60 at the 2026 Evian Championship.
High Stakes for the New Zealander
Fox is currently seeking the first major championship victory of his career. Should he maintain his position and claim the Claret Jug at Royal Birkdale, he would become the first New Zealander since Bob Charles in 1963 to win The Open. Fox’s season has been marked by consistency, including top-10 finishes at The Genesis Invitational and the RBC Canadian Open. His previous best major finish was a tie for 19th at the 2025 U.S. Open. Earlier this year, he missed the cut at the Masters before finishing tied for 35th at the PGA Championship and 23rd at the U.S. Open.
Tournament Drama and Rules Controversy
The 2026 Open Championship has been defined by both historic scoring and off-course drama. On Friday, Bryson DeChambeau was assessed a two-stroke penalty for a violation of Rule 8, which governs the intended swing. Officials determined that DeChambeau had inadvertently improved his path by tamping down grass behind his ball while in thick, knee-high rough on the fifth hole. The penalty turned his bogey into a triple bogey, moving him from one shot behind the lead to three shots back. Additionally, Jon Rahm received an official conduct warning for throwing his club following a poor tee shot. As the tournament heads into the final day, the leaderboard remains crowded, with Herbert, Fox, and Burns at the top, followed closely by a field that includes Cameron Young, Tom Fleetwood, and Scottie Scheffler.
Update (July 18, 2026)
According to apnews.com, Ryan Fox concluded his round by escaping a pot bunker on the 18th hole, eventually holing a par putt after leaving a nearly 50-foot birdie attempt short. Despite his historic performance, shifting conditions and tougher pin positions in the afternoon left Fox two shots behind Sam Burns, who shot a 65, heading into the final round. Lucas Herbert, who previously held the 36-hole lead, carded a 71 and sits three shots back.
Fox noted that his aggressive game plan included hitting mostly close-range shots, with eight of his nine birdies coming from roughly 10 feet or closer. He also highlighted a key wedge shot from the rough on the par-5 17th that rolled to within 4 feet, setting up a birdie. Half of the eight rounds of 62 in major history have now occurred at Royal Birkdale.
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