Fox ties Open record with 62 to share lead

New Zealand's Ryan Fox equaled the lowest round record at the 154th British Open on Saturday, firing an eight-under-par 62 at a calm Royal Birkdale. This remarkable performance places him in a tie for the lead heading into the final rounds.

Fox, who started the day at even par, delivered a stellar performance with nine birdies and a single bogey. He achieved a front-nine score of 29. A birdie on the 18th hole narrowly missed giving him the outright record for the lowest round in a men's major, falling just short after his approach shot from a bunker required a long putt.

His 62 brought his tournament total to eight under par, matching the previous day's record rounds set by Australia's Lucas Herbert and American Sam Burns. Herbert himself had a chance to card a 61 but missed a five-foot putt on the 18th hole.

“

The game plan was to be aggressive. I hit driver a lot, pretty much bar the first and nine. Your strategy changes a bit with the wind around here.

Americans Jackson Suber, Cameron Young, and Ryan Gerard are positioned two shots behind the leaders at six under par. Prior to this year's Open, only five rounds of 62 or lower had been recorded in the history of men's majors. Fox's strategy involved aggressive play, frequently using his driver, adapting his approach based on the wind conditions around the course.

Fox, who has yet to finish in the top 20 in his previous nine Open appearances, expressed enjoyment playing alongside Xander Schauffele, who has also shot multiple 62s. Schauffele, the reigning champion, finished his round at four under par for the tournament. Bryson DeChambeau is on five under, while world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler begins the third round four shots off the lead.

“

It was a lot of fun to play alongside Xander as he's had a couple of 62s too.