British Open 2026: Lucas Herbert becomes just the second player to ever do this at the Open Championship

Lucas Herbert's Friday front nine at Royal Birkdale was one for the record books.

The 30-year-old Aussie shot a six-under-par 28 to take the lead at the 2026 Open Championship.

Herbert matched a tournament record set by Denis Durnian, also on Royal Birkdale's par-34 front nine, at the 1983 Open.

The LIV golfer bridied his first three holes in Friday's second round before adding birdies at Nos. 5, 7 and 9, holing a putt from off the green to make the turn at six under and take the early lead on Day 2.

Herbert has won on both the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, but has never finished in the top 10 at a major championship. He won his first LIV Golf title in May in Virginia.

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Is it the British Open or the Open Championship? The name of the final men’s major of the golf season is a subject of continued discussion. The event’s official name, as explained in this op-ed by former R&A chairman Ian Pattinson, is the Open Championship. But since many United States golf fans continue to refer to it as the British Open, and search news around the event accordingly, Golf Digest continues to utilize both names in its coverage.