​Ryan Fox delivered a historic round at the Open Championship on July 18 in Southport, England, becoming the third player in the same week to match the men’s major championship scoring record with a 62. The New Zealander produced his record-tying score in the third round at Royal Birkdale, joining Lucas Herbert and Sam Burns, who had both carded 62s during the second round of the tournament.
Fox’s brilliant performance added another chapter to Royal Birkdale’s connection with major championship history. The same venue was the site of Branden Grace’s groundbreaking 62 in the third round of the 2017 Open Championship, the first 62 ever recorded in a men’s major. Nearly a decade later, Fox matched that mark with a composed and aggressive display that featured nine birdies and just one bogey.
The 39-year-old entered the closing hole with a chance to secure a place in the record book, but the final test at Royal Birkdale did not make it easy. His tee shot on the 18th hole found one of the bunkers on the right side of the fairway, immediately putting his historic round in jeopardy. Fox responded with an impressive recovery, muscling a short-iron shot out of the sand. The ball barely cleared the riveted face of the bunker before settling safely on the green, leaving him a lengthy birdie opportunity from roughly 60 feet.
Fox’s long birdie putt appeared to have a chance, tracking close to the intended line before losing speed and finishing about five feet short of the cup. With history still on the line, he calmly converted the remaining putt for par to complete an 8-under round of 62. That final stroke secured his place alongside the select group of players who have posted the lowest round ever recorded in a men’s major championship.
The Golf Channel celebrated the moment on social media, writing, “TAKE A BOW, RYAN FOX,” as Fox joined the elite list of players to shoot 62 in a major. His round at Royal Birkdale was one of the highlights of the Open Championship and continued a remarkable scoring trend in recent major tournaments.
Only a handful of players in men’s major championship history have reached 62, and all of those rounds have come within the last 10 years. Grace set the standard at the 2017 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele both matched the number in the first round of the 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club. Schauffele then repeated the achievement in the first round of the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla, where Shane Lowry also shot 62 in the third round of the same event. Fox, Herbert and Burns added their names to that exclusive club at the 2026 Open Championship.
For Fox, the record-tying round was another major milestone in a professional career that began in 2012 on the PGA Tour of Australasia. The New Zealander has won twice on the PGA Tour and four times on the European Tour. His two PGA Tour victories both came in playoffs in 2025, when he captured the Myrtle Beach Open and the Canadian Open. Fox has also been ranked as high as No. 23 in the world, reaching that mark in 2022.
Before his 62 at Royal Birkdale, Fox’s best finish at the Open Championship was a tie for 16th in 2019. He had already competed in the other three majors this season, missing the cut at the Masters before finishing tied for 35th at the PGA Championship and tied for 23rd at the U.S. Open. His historic round at the Open Championship now stands as one of the defining moments of his career.
Ryan Fox’s 62 at Royal Birkdale tied the men’s major championship scoring record and placed him among golf’s most exclusive company. With nine birdies, a clutch recovery on the 18th hole and a steady final putt under pressure, Fox delivered one of the most memorable rounds in recent Open Championship history.