Lucas Herbert ties record for lowest nine-hole score at The Open
Australian Lucas Herbert posted a 28 on the front nine of the 2026 Open Championship, matching the tournament's lowest nine-hole total and moving into the lead.
Australian golfer Lucas Herbert recorded a 28 on the front nine at Royal Birkdale, tying the lowest nine-hole score ever recorded in the 154-year history of The Open Championship. The 30-year-old birdied his first three holes and added three more birdies over the next six, finishing the front nine six under par. The 28 matches the mark set by Denis Durnian in 1983, also at Royal Birkdale. Herbert’s round put him atop the leaderboard with a total of 62, one stroke shy of the major-championship record of 61. He missed a five-foot putt on the 18th hole that would have given him a bogey, leaving his final score at 62.
"We’re thrilled with the start we’ve had and hope to keep the momentum," Herbert said after his round.
Herbert’s performance follows Branden Grace’s 62 in 2017, which also began with a 29 on the front nine at the same venue. Five players have previously posted 62 in major championships, but no one has yet broken the 61-stroke barrier.