Lucas Herbert stood over a five-foot, three-inch putt on the 18th hole at Royal Birkdale, knowing that history was within his grasp. A make would give him a 61, the lowest round in men's major championship history. The putt slid past the hole, leaving Herbert to settle for a 62 — still a record-equalling score, but one that felt like a missed opportunity.
Herbert's Record-Equalling Round
Herbert's 62 placed him atop the Open leaderboard at eight under par, matching the course record and becoming the sixth man to post 62 in a major. Only Branden Grace had previously shot 62 in The Open, doing so at Royal Birkdale in 2017. Herbert's round included a front nine of 28, the lowest in Open history, and birdies at the 10th, 11th, and 12th.
“I’m absolutely disappointed and at the same time, so proud of today,” Herbert said. “Very, very proud to put my name on that list of guys that have shot 62 in a major championship. So it’s kind of holding two emotions there at the same time. It’s a tricky one.”
The Missed Putt
Herbert's caddie, Nick Pugh, reflected on the missed putt. “I would back Lucas 100 times out of 100 to hole those,” Pugh said. “He’s one of the best putters, if not the best putter in the world. He knocks them in with aplomb all day long. But when your heart is racing and you know what’s on the line, there’s probably just that little distraction.”
Herbert acknowledged the weight of the moment. “Obviously I had a lot of thoughts running through my head today,” he said. “One of them at one point was one of my earliest golf memories, my dad waking me up to watch Chad Campbell in the first round in the 2009 Masters because it looked like he had a really good chance to shoot 62 and break the record at that time.”
Sam Burns Matches the Milestone
Adding to the drama, Sam Burns holed out from a bunker on the 18th for a 62 of his own, matching Herbert's score while the Australian was still in media duties. Burns surged to within three shots of Herbert's lead, but his round was overshadowed by Herbert's near miss.
Herbert's driver finally appeared at the par-five 14th, but he found sand and could not capitalise. He atoned at the 16th with a birdie, but nerves crept in at the 17th when his second shot landed in the crowd. He saved par, setting up the dramatic 18th.
Emotional Finish
After missing the putt, Herbert and Pugh embraced. “Nick married my wife and I last year, he was our reverend,” Herbert explained. “So that sort of shows you the relationship that we have. I said to him after missing that putt on the last: ‘I love doing this stuff with you, mate.’”
Herbert's 62 was a remarkable achievement, but the five-foot putt that got away will linger. “History has an evil or great way of doing this to people when history is on the line,” Pugh said.
