Sam Burns Ties Major Record With 62 at Royal Birkdale as Open Sees 2nd Historic Round

Q: Can Sam Burns convert his historic round into a career-defining major victory?

Yes — Burns has a real chance, but the harder part is still ahead: backing up one brilliant round with two controlled weekend rounds on a links course that can change quickly. The evidence for him is strong. His 62 at Royal Birkdale was not just historic; it showed he can produce elite golf under major pressure. He also arrives with better major form than at any point in his career. He was runner-up at the U.S. Open this year, charging on Sunday and losing by one shot, and that followed a T7 at the Masters. That suggests his major ceiling is no longer theoretical. Just as important, Burns appears more mature in these moments. After his collapse from the 54-hole lead at the 2025 U.S. Open, there were real questions about whether he could finish a major. His near-miss at Shinnecock this year looked more like progress than failure: he handled the pressure, played aggressively, and nearly stole the championship. That is meaningful evidence that his mentality is improving. Still, a record-tying 62 guarantees nothing. The Open is often decided by weather shifts, patience and avoiding mistakes, not by one low round. Royal Birkdale rewards precision and discipline, and Burns’ Open record remains modest, with a previous best of T31. He also has not won on the PGA Tour since 2023. So the answer is yes, he can. But to make this a career-defining major victory, Burns now has to prove he can do what he has not yet done in a major: close.

Q: After two record-tying 62s in one day, has The Open become too easy?

No. Two 62s in one day is striking, but it does not by itself mean The Open has become too easy. What happened at Royal Birkdale was a mix of elite shot-making and favorable scoring conditions. Lucas Herbert and Sam Burns both tied the men’s major low-round record with 62s, and Burns needed a chip-in from a bunker at the 18th to get there. Herbert also had a chance at 61 before a closing bogey. Those details matter: these were exceptional rounds, not routine scoring. The broader trend in major golf does show lower numbers appearing more often. Since Branden Grace’s 62 at the 2017 Open, the major-championship 62 has been matched several times across the U.S. Open and PGA Championship. That reflects modern players, equipment, preparation and course setups that can become vulnerable when weather is calm. But the evidence from Birkdale does not suggest a soft venue overall. The course was recently renovated to preserve its championship test, with tighter landing areas, redesigned holes and green complexes that players such as Scottie Scheffler have described as severe. Royal Birkdale still relies heavily on wind, firmness and strategic positioning for its defense. When those elements are muted, low scores become possible on any Open rota course. So the better reading is not that The Open is suddenly too easy, but that even a demanding links course can yield record scores when world-class players catch benign conditions and perform at their absolute ceiling.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Jul 17

Burns rebounded from an opening 3-over 74 with a bogey-free 62 on Friday, securing his place for the weekend at Royal Birkdale.
Six back-nine birdies powered the round, capped by a birdie from an 18th-hole bunker that matched Lucas Herbert's earlier 62 the same day.
The score put Burns alongside Herbert, Branden Grace, Rickie Fowler, Shane Lowry and Xander Schauffele on the men's-major low-round list; six of the seven 62s have come since the 2023 U.S. Open.
Burns had not expected to play this Open because his wife was due to give birth on July 14, but daughter Belle arrived on July 3, allowing him to make his sixth straight Open start.