A day after Aussie star Lucas Herbert came within a whisker of setting a new Open record, Kiwi Ryan Fox made a bold bid for glory at Royal Birkdale as well before joining the Bendigo native at the top of the leaderboard.
Matching the deeds of Herbert and American Sam Burns, who joined a select group of players to shoot 62 in a major on Day 2 of the British Open, Fox moved to 8-under with only the 18th to play but fell short with a lengthy putt to create history.
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The 39-year-old started the day even with the card but a birdie on the second started a blitz which saw him reach the turn in a 5-under 29, just one behind the record-equalling pace Herbert set on Friday, and continued to surge up the leaderboard.
He snared his sixth birdie for the day on the 10th but a bogey on the 13th arguably cost him the record, though he was able to reclaim the momentum straight after before moving to 7-under with another birdie on 16.
While Herbert narrowly missed with a birdie putt on 17 and a par putt on the 18th, the Kiwi was able to make up another shot on the penultimate hole before parring the last.
In a trans Tasman dominated leaderboard, the pair sit two shots ahead of three players, while Bryson DeChambeau is at 5-under after the controversy that unfolded on Friday.
SOUTHPORT, ENGLAND – JULY 18: Ryan Fox of New Zealand tees off on the 16th hole on day three of the The 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale on July 18, 2026 in Southport, England. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
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