Ryan Fox hits record-equalling round at British Open to move into share of lead

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fox-ryan/bR9ztYXn/"]Fox[/a], who began the day on level par, ‌fired nine birdies and a bogey, going out in ‌a stunning 29.[/p][p]A birdie on the par-four 18th could have given the ‌39-year-old the first round of 61 at a men's major, ‌but he came up short with a long putt after a superb second shot from a bunker.[/p][p][b]His record-equalling 62 took him to eight under ‌for the tournament and matched the rounds ⁠of Australian [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/herbert-lucas/n9uhHG2A/"]Lucas Herbert[/a] and ‌American [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/burns-sam/Ya8WURp6/"]Sam Burns[/a] on Friday.[/b][/p][p]Herbert, who tees off at 15:50 CET, missed ​a five-foot putt on the 18th that would have carded a historic 61.[/p][p]Americans [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/suber-jackson/jyC67niD/"]Jackson Suber[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/young-cameron/WAjf7EFq/"]Cameron Young[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gerard-ryan/Wh01wlMn/"]Ryan ​Gerard[/a] are two shots behind Fox and Herbert on six under.[/p][embed guid="3bd5981b-53d0-4e05-bae6-cf551d654c0c" url="https://x.com/PGATOUR/status/2078474889057403247" social-type="twitter" /][p]Prior to this year's Open, there had only been five rounds ⁠as low as 62 ​in the history of men's majors - South African [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/grace-branden/S2gO5fgJ/"]Branden Grace[/a]'s effort at the 2017 Open, also at Royal Birkdale, and those of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fowler-rickie/z9A2Fe31/"]Rickie Fowler[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/schauffele-xander/OnIoiVkm/"]Xander Schauffele[/a] at the 2023 US Open and ‌Schauffele and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lowry-shane/pAUj2FN5/"]Shane Lowry[/a] at the 2024 PGA Championship.[/p][p][b]"The game plan was to be aggressive. I hit driver a lot, pretty much bar the first and nine. Your strategy changes a bit with the wind around here,"[/b] Fox, who has not finished in the top 20 in nine previous Open appearances, told Sky Sports.[/p][p][b]"It was a lot of fun to play alongside Xander as he's had a couple of 62s too."[/b][/p][p]Schauffele, the 2024 ‌champion and Fox's playing partner, shot a four-under 66 to reach ​four under for the tournament.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dechambeau-bryson/vZG7Cn7s/"]Bryson DeChambeau[/a], who was handed a ‌two-shot penalty on Friday for "inadvertently improving the area of his intended swing" at the fifth hole according to the R&A, begins the third round on five under.[/p][p]World No. 1 [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/scheffler-scottie/bXfIuBYu/"]Scottie Scheffler[/a], aiming to become the first man since Ireland's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/harrington-padraig/S655xYS4/"]⁠Padraig Harrington[/a] in 2008 to ⁠retain the Claret Jug, ‌starts his third round four shots back.[/p]