2026 Open, Round 3 recap: Burns soars to into first behind 65

Bryson DeChambeau was met with plenty of crowd support on Saturday at Royal Birkdale. He also got some from his fellow players, who felt the penalty he received on Friday was not fair.

Bryson DeChambeau continues to hang over Open, requests Round 2 scorecard

Bryson DeChambeau is four off the lead at The Open but he continues to be a massive topic of conversation. He also made an odd request after Saturday’s round.

• Ryan Lavner,

• Ryan Lavner,

If you hadn’t heard by now: Sam Burns and his wife welcomed a second child earlier this month, a baby girl named Charlotte.

Burns was planning to skip the year’s final major at Royal Birkdale to be with his wife and family. And, well, as you may know, Burns made it across the pond is now leading said tournament.

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine has the full story on what went into Burns’ decision and what a whirlwind week it has been for him.

Oh, baby: Originally set to skip Open, Sam Burns now with another 54-hole major lead

Burns followed Friday’s record-tying, 8-under 62 with a third-round 65 on Saturday afternoon at Royal Birkdale – the best consecutive 36 holes in major history – to move to 10 under, two shots clear of the field.

• Brentley Romine,

• Brentley Romine,

Sam Burns is a +140 betting favorite entering Sunday’s final round at Royal Birkdale. And, if history is any indicator, then Bryson DeChambeau will prove to be his biggest competition over the final 18 holes.

DeChambeau is the only player sitting inside the top 10 at the 154th Open Championship who has won a major. The two-time U.S. Open winner played with Burns on Saturday, and saw up close as Burns carded a 5-under 65.

Burns finished runner-up to Wyndham Clark at Shinnecock last month.

He might not be in the lead anymore but Lucas Herbert deserve applause for this shot on the 17th hole that helped keep him at 7 under.

There are shots with obstructed vision and then there’s this from Herbert ...

Sam Burns is not somebody who’s way you want to be in at a major championship.

Don’t believe us, just check out the type of trajectory he’s on after starting his first 16 major tournaments with just one top-25 finish.

The numbers speak for themselves ...

Sam Burns is in the history books again.

After putting together a 5-under 65 on Saturday at Royal Birkdale, Burns is now in sole possession of The Open lead heading into Sunday.

Burns’ 62-65 is the lowest scoring consecutive rounds in major championship history.

It’s not easy to stay in the 60s at a major.

Si Woo Kim has done just that over the first three rounds at Royal Birkdale.

Seeking his first major victory, Kim carded a 3-under 67 on Saturday at The Open. He posted 68-67 to start his tournament and now sits 8 under — a shot off the lead — heading into the final round.

Kim and Ryan Fox are the clubhouse leaders. Leader Sam Burns (-9) is on the green at 18.

Lucas Herbert had ripped off five straight pars after circling the final hole on his front nine but a bogey at the par-3 15th cost him a share of The Open lead.

Sam Burns has moved into solo first with two holes left in his third round.

Si Woo Kim and Ryan Fox sit T-2 with Herbert at 8 under on the tournament. Americans Ryan Gerard and Jackson Suber are T-5 at 7 under with three holes left.

Sam Burns is looking to do something that hasn’t been done in almost three decades.

After 18 holes at Royal Birkdale, the 2026 U.S. Open runner-up was T-106 on the leaderboard. Now he sits tied with Lucas Herbert, in position to be in Sunday’s final pairing.

Only Mark O’Meara has gone on to win The Open after being outside the top 50 after Round 1.

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A seventh straight round in the 60s was not meant to be for Scottie Scheffler, who bogeyed on the 16th hole at Royal Birkdale and finished par-par before signing a third round 70.

If Scheffler had gotten in with a 69, it would have been his seventh consecutive round in the 60s at The Open. Instead he ends at six, with Ernie Els’ record seven holding up.

It was 16 pars for the world’s top-ranked player on Moving Day, who birdied the fifth hole on his front nine.

Ryan Fox clearly won Moving Day at Royal Birkdale.

Since he and his Round 3 partner Xander Schauffele signed their respective cards shortly before 10 a.m. ET, there has been fairly limited movement on the leaderboard. Eric Cole and Josele Ballester shot 66s on Saturday, along with Schauffele.

The next biggest mover is Ludvig Åberg, who is inside the top 10 after posting a 3-under 67. Take a look at how he finished strong on the 18th hole a little while ago.

Tommy Fleetwood heard plenty of applause when his bogey putt went in on the 18th hole at Royal Birkdale.

The Southport, England native wore disappointment on his face after losing two shots over his last four on Saturday, but carding a square to finish off his third round at The Open was hardly the worst possible result after an errant approach shot left him in dangerous territory.

Fleetwood got back onto the green and finished off his 1-under 69. He’s been in the 60s all three days this week and sits T-8, four shots off the current co-leaders Lucas Herbert and Sam Burns.

Sam Burns nailed a 30-foot putt for birdie to join Lucas Herbert atop the leaderboard at The Open.

Burns made the big putt on par-5 14th, good for his fifth birdie on the day — his first on the back nine. Burns’ only blunder on Saturday was a square at the 414-yard 9th hole. That came on the heels of back-to-back birdies.

Ryan Fox is now solo third at eight under. He’s been in the clubhouse for four hours after carding a record-tying 62. Si Woo Kim, Ryan Gerard and Jackson Suber are T-4, two shots back at 7 under.

Those following along might wondering a very prudent question: Where is Scottie Scheffler in all of this Open Championship madness?

The world’s top-ranked player remains in striking position — sitting T-9, four shots off Lucas Herbert’s lead. But it hasn’t been exactly an electrifying round for Scheffler.

Besides a birdie at the par-4 fifth, Scheffler has carded a par at every hole at Royal Birkdale on Moving Day.

Cameron Young came up just shy of his first major win at the Masters earlier this year.

Now, back in major contention at Royal Birkdale, the 2026 Players champ is in position to do something that hasn’t been done in more than two decades: Carry a 54-hole lead at Augusta and at The Open both in the same year. Tiger Woods is the last player to lead or have a share of the lead at 54 holes in both tournaments. He did it in 2005.

Young is currently two shots off the current lead.

Lucas Herbert is the solo leader of the Open Championship once again.

Herbert birdied the par-4 ninth to close out the front nine at Birkdale and take a shot advantage over Sam Burns and Ryan Fox.

Burns is through 11 holes, while Fox is in the clubhouse after carding a record-tying 62 earlier in the day.

All three players have submitted 62s at Birkdale, with Burns and Herbert getting their slice of history during Friday’s second round.

Major scoring records, lowest rounds in men’s golf history

Here are the 72-hole records and lowest rounds in each of the four men’s major championships.

• Golf Channel Staff,

• Golf Channel Staff,

In case you missed the memo on 2026 Open first round leader Jackson Suber: He maintains a tight grip on his irons.

How tight? Well, Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee called it the strongest he has ever seen on the high-level professional tour

In his grip, both of Suber’s hands are rotated dramatically away from the target allowing him to naturally close the clubface and hit right-to-left draws. Take more of a look below:

Ryan Fox suddenly has a whole lot of company at 8 under par.

Sam Burns had the solo lead for one hole but bogeyed at par-4 ninth, and slipped back to T-1 with Fox.

Joining Burns and Fox atop the leaderboard is Lucas Herbert and Si Woo Kim.

That’s right, it’s a four-way lead at Royal Birkdale as of 12:30 p.m. ET.

Sam Burns is no stranger to a major leaderboard in 2026. One of 14 players to make the cut at all four majors this year, Burns has moved to sole possession of the lead at Royal Birkdale by getting to 9 under on his front nine.

Burns, a new dad who’s playing for the first time after the birth of his daughter Belle, birdied the eighth hole to take a one shot lead over Ryan Fox. Five players sit T-3 at 7 under.

A look at Burns’ impressive major results so far this year.

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Tommy Fleetwood went from 150 yards out on the par-4 11th to just a few feet of the hole.

And with a birdie putt a few moments later, the hometown hero got within a shot of Ryan Fox and Sam Burns’ lead to join a chorus of players at 7 under.

Those at T-2 include Fleetwood, Si Woo Kim, Cameron Young and Lucas Herbert.

Fox is in the clubhouse after carding a historic 62 earlier in the day.

Rory McIlroy carded a 1-under 69 at the Open Championship on Saturday but it’ll be his remarks after finishing his third round that are sure to generate more discussion than anything he did on the greens and fairways on Moving Day.

McIlroy was asked about the two-shot penalty assessed against Bryson DeChambeau on Friday and said that there was “no doubt” DeChambeau improved the line of his backswing.

DeChambeau disagreed to the point where by the time he left the driving range after 10:30 p.m. local time it was still unclear whether or not would make his Round 3 tee time.

“Late night for everyone,” McIlroy said to reporters. “I won’t pretend to be up here and defend Bryson. I’m not particularly fond of him. I think a lot of it’s performative. I think a lot of it’s for attention.

“To hold the tournament hostage like that, and to have all of us, players, volunteers, everyone waiting on him to depart, I didn’t feel like it was a great look.”

McIlroy is currently 2 under after 54 holes and sits T-29 on the leaderboard as of noon ET.

READ: Rory McIlroy: ‘No doubt’ Bryson DeChambeau improved swing-path line; penalty ‘justified for sure’

Bryson DeChambeau just birdied the toughest hole at Royal Birkdale.

Following a bogey at par-4 second, DeChambeau was able to circle the 499-yard sixth.

The tough par four has averaged a 4.35 this week, ranking it the highest average expected score of all 18 holes at Birkdale.

There’s a lot of golf left at Royal Birkdale but so far Saturday’s Round 3 is shaping up to be a historically low day.

As of 11:45 a.m. ET, the course average was 69.6 on Moving Day at the Open Championship. If that scoring number were to hold, Saturday would be just the eighth time in the history of The Open that a single round’s average is lower than 70.

It’s happened just seven times across the more than 150 years of tournament history.

Cameron Young is within a shot of Ryan Fox’s lead after sinking a birdie putt on the fifth hole at Royal Birkdale.

Young is in a five-way tie for second with Si Woo Kim, Sam Burns, Jackson Suber, and Lucas Herbert.

Lucas Herbert bogeys the par-4 third and drops into a tie for second with Sam Burns and Jackson Suber. Ryan Fox, in the house after his 62, is alone at 8 under.

We know you were already (3 p.m. ET), but Luka is on:

Lucas Herbert pars the first two. Meanwhile, Jackson Suber birdies the second to get within one at 7 under.

DeChambeau pulled his approach shot on the par-4 second into thick rough behind the green. He expertly hacked out to 4 feet but missed the par save, dropping to 4 under and four back.

Bryson hits a fairway metal into the left rough. Playing competitor Sam Burns, coming off a 62, finds the fairway.

He remains at 4 under, four off the lead.

He immediately goes from four back to six back.

Rahm pumped his opening tee shot O.B. and had to re-tee. He’s playing alongside local favorite Tommy Fleetwood, who split the fairway.

Jon Rahm is beginning his third round.

Jon Rahm receives code-of-conduct warning after throwing club in Round 2 of The Open

The R&A’s code-of-conduct policy was tested Friday at Royal Birkdale, where Jon Rahm tomahawked his iron after a poor tee shot at the par-3 15th.

• Golf Channel Staff,

• Golf Channel Staff,

Got it. He’s now the seventh man to shoot 62 in a men’s major — and the THIRD this week.

Coincidentally, Fox did it while playing alongside Xander Schauffele, the only player to twice shoot 62 in a major.

Oh, Fox is also a co-leader at 8 under par.

Fox comes up 5 feet short. The men’s major record will remain 62, but will Fox be among the group?

Playing aggressively with an 8-iron from 192 yards in the bunker, Fox nicks the lip but still finds the green. He’s got about 50 feet for 61.

Rory McIlroy chips in for eagle at the par-4 ninth to reach 2 under.

Over cut it into a bunker on the right. Small sample, but no one has birdied the par-4 18th today.

Fox is 8 under on his round through 17 holes and 8 under for the championship. He’s tied for the lead and one birdie away from shooting the first 61 in men’s major history.

Royal Birkdale’s front nine is only a par 34, so don’t get too excited, JT fans. But with four birdies and one bogey, Thomas is at 4 under and four off the lead.

So far, the wrong direction. He’s started par-par-bogey, missing another short putt at the third.

He’s back to even par and eight back.

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Ryan Fox birdied five of his first eight holes (as noted below). He added another one at the 10th and is now 6 under on the day and in a tie for second place. Reminder: it’s a par 70.