Ryan Fox ties major-championship low-round record with 62 at 2026 Open

Ryan Fox posted an eight-under 62 in the third round at Royal Birkdale, tying the record for the lowest single-round score in a men’s major championship. The New Zealander’s round included seven consecutive threes on his first eight holes, five of which were under par. After a bogey on the 13th hole, Fox rebounded with three birdies in the next four holes to finish the round at 8-under par, sharing the tournament lead with Lucas Herbert.

Herbert and Sam Burns had previously matched the 62-stroke record in the second round, making this the first event in which three players recorded the same low score. Fox, who has yet to win a major, previously tied for 19th at the 2025 U.S. Open and posted top-10 finishes at the Genesis Invitational and RBC Canadian Open this season.

If Fox were to win the tournament, he would become the first New Zealander since Bob Charles in 1963 to capture the Open Championship. The 62-stroke mark has been achieved eight times by seven players, including two rounds by Xander Schauffele, and has been followed by victory only in the cases of Rickie Fowler and Schauffele.

"I’m just trying to play my best golf and see where it takes me," Fox said after the round.