Australian golfer Lucas Herbert narrowly missed making history at Royal Birkdale on July 17, 2026, when he missed a five-foot par putt on the final hole that would have given him the first 61 in men's major championship history.
Instead, Herbert carded a nine-under-par round of 62, matching the course record and taking the early clubhouse lead.
>>> Lucas Herbert Shares British Open Lead with Record 62
His round featured nine birdies and one bogey, including a front-nine 28 that tied the lowest nine-hole score in Open history.
A brief moment of confusion occurred on the 14th tee when Herbert's caddie, Nick Pugh, was seen using a monocular device.
Rangefinders are banned on traditional tours, but Sky Sports and R&A officials confirmed Pugh had prior permission to use the device turned off.
Herbert expressed mixed emotions after the round. "I'm absolutely disappointed, but at the same time, I'm so proud of today," he said.
"I'm very, very proud to put my name on that list of guys that have shot 62 in a major.
So I am holding two emotions at the same time."
He acknowledged that processing the round would take time.
"It's a tricky one, but I'm sure once the dust settles I'll be able to decompress it," Herbert said.
"Right now I've sort of got both emotions going on, and it's a pretty good problem to have – to be disappointed you shot 62."
Regarding the final putt, Herbert remained confident in his execution.
