Sam Burns of Shreveport, Louisiana is the leader after the third round of the 2026 British Open from Royal Birkdale in northwest England. Burns is currently the only golfer in double digits as he is at -10.
What Burns has been able to accomplish over the last 48 hours is record breaking. According to Jonathan Jurejko of the BBC, Burns score of 127 (62 in the second round on Thursday and 65 in the third round on Friday), is “the lowest total across any two rounds in men’s major championship history.”
On Saturday, Burns had six birdies and one bogey. He birdied the second, fourth, seventh, eighth, 14th and 17th holes, and bogeyed the ninth hole. What Burns has been able to accomplish the last two days is noteworthy after struggling mightily in round one. On Thursday, Burns shot an opening round score of 73 as he had four bogeys and one birdie. Burns bogeyed the third, 16th, 17th and 18th holes and birdied the sixth hole.
History was also made by New Zealand’s Ryan Fox. He became the seventh golfer ever to shoot a 62 at a major. He followed Australia’s Lucas Herbert and American Burns (who both accomplished the feat in round two on Friday), Americans Xander Schauffele (accomplished the feat twice), and Rickie Fowler, South Africa’s Branden Grace and Ireland’s Shane Lowry. Fox moved from 50th to second place, and is at -8 after round three. On Saturday, Fox had nine birdies and one bogey. He birdied the second, third, fifth, sixth, eighth, 10th, 14th, 16th, and 17th holes and bogeyed the 13th hole.
Fox is tied with South Korea’s Si Woo Kim at -8. Herbert is one of two golfers tied for fourth place at -7 and three strokes back of Burns. The other is American Ryan Gerard.
