SOUTHPORT, England — Another round at the British Open brings another impressive 62.
Just a day after Lucas Herbert and Sam Burns set a record for the lowest round in a major championship with their 62s, Ryan Fox followed suit on Saturday. The 39-year-old from New Zealand notched nine birdies alongside a single bogey to finish at 8-under par, which tied him for the lead, although the leaders wouldn’t tee off for another 80 minutes. “If I’m being picky, I might want a couple of drives back, but other than that, I felt solid,” Fox reflected. “I struck some great shots down the stretch and my putting was on point. When you tee off in the morning, with calm winds, there’s this pressure to make a score.”
Looking back on his previous round, Fox admitted, “Honestly, I warmed up better yesterday. I was 4-under through 11, but stumbled a bit at the end. Sometimes, golf’s just unpredictable like that. You can hit everything nicely during practice and then fall apart during the round. Today, luckily, I started off strong and managed to maintain that momentum.”
Fox was paired with Xander Schauffele, who shot a 62 in both the 2023 U.S. Open and the 2024 PGA Championship. Schauffele ended his day with a solid 4-under 66. “It was enjoyable,” Fox said. “Xander and I made a lot of birdies—definitely fed off each other. I would have taken 62 on any Saturday, for sure.” Schauffele chimed in, “You’d take a 62 anywhere. In a major, it’s even sweeter, but on a Saturday? That’s just fantastic.” He noted Fox’s strong start, remarking, “He was hitting it close and making those crucial putts.”
Schauffele pointed out that the pin placements were particularly tough, which made Fox’s round more impressive. “They didn’t seem keen on having another 62 based on the pin sheet,” he said. “It’ll be interesting to see how they place the pins tomorrow after his round.” Fox’s score marks the eighth time a 62 has been recorded in major tournament history, joining the ranks of Schauffele, Scottie Scheffler, Shane Lowry, Branden Grace, Herbert, and Burns, who have also done it.
Having participated in 28 majors with only two top-20 finishes, Fox nearly set the record with a 61 but left his birdie attempt on the 18th just short. He mentioned, “I think the idea of shooting a 62 crossed my mind on 10, but it wasn’t fully there. Then after I birdied 14, I thought, ‘Hey, we might have something here.’” He logged birdies at Nos. 2, 3, 5, 6, and 8 on the front nine, wrapping that leg in 29, and added birdies at 10, 14, 16, and 17, with just one bogey at 13.
“It feels great to be in this frame of mind,” Fox said. “I’m looking forward to keeping this going into Sunday.”
