Ryan Fox Matches Major Record With 62 at British Open as Sam Burns Leads by 2

Q: Did recent renovations make Royal Birkdale too easy, or does the record scoring reveal a new level of elite golfer performance?

Royal Birkdale does not look “too easy”; the scoring surge is better explained by benign conditions and elite players exploiting them. The renovation evidence points the other way. Mackenzie & Ebert’s work was designed to toughen and modernize the course: a longer 602-yard par-5 14th, a new 241-yard par-3 15th, altered green complexes with steeper run-offs, rebuilt and repositioned bunkers, and a more demanding 18th with a tighter landing area. Players, including Scottie Scheffler, have described some of the new surrounds as severe and exacting, not soft. What changed this week is the setup nature gave the course. Reports from Royal Birkdale describe brown, firm-and-fast turf and, crucially, unusually light wind for a links major. Even the architects said you cannot plan for those conditions. On a course whose main defense is normally the Irish Sea breeze, that matters. Royal Birkdale has always produced very different winning scores depending on weather, from over par in harsh years to deep under par in calmer ones. The three rounds of 62 in one championship, including Ryan Fox’s on Saturday, still say something important about the modern player. Today’s elite golfers are longer, more precise, and better equipped to manage firm links conditions than previous generations. But the record scoring is not strong evidence that the redesign failed. It is stronger evidence that a stern course, when stripped of much of its wind defense, can be attacked by a historically strong field.

3 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · Jul 18

Ryan Fox fired a 62 at Royal Birkdale on Saturday, becoming the third player this week to match the men's major-championship low round and moving within two shots of the lead entering Sunday.
Little wind and firm, fast links conditions fueled the scoring burst, with Fox making nine birdies and attacking with his driver and wedges during an early tee time.
Sam Burns still held first place at 10-under after a 65, while 36-hole leader Lucas Herbert slipped back with a 71 to sit three behind.
Royal Birkdale has now produced four of the eight 62s in major history, including Branden Grace's first record-setter in 2017, and is the first major venue to yield three rounds of 63 or lower in one championship.