RYAN FOX MATCHES MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIP RECORD WITH A 62 IN THE BRITISH OPEN

Ryan Fox has joined the list of players with a major championship scoring record

Ryan Fox of New Zealand acknowledges the crowd on the 188th green after completing his third round during the third day of the British Open Golf championships at Royal Birkdale golf club, in Southport, England, Saturday, July 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

SOUTHPORT, England — Ryan Fox added his name Saturday to the growing list of players who share the major championship scoring record when he became the third player this week with a record-tying 62 in the British Open at Royal Birkdale .

Fox started early with barely a trace of wind, and he took advantage. He made five birdies on the front nine, and birdied two of his last three holes for 62 on the par-70 Birkdale links. Lucas Herbert and Sam Burns each had 62 some 20 minutes apart on Friday.

There now have been eight rounds of 62 in major championship history, half of them at Royal Birkdale. Branden Grace was the first to set the record with a 62 at Royal Birkdale in 2017.

Fox was in a pot bunker off the fairway on the 18th and still managed to find the green, leaving a birdie putt of nearly 50 feet for a 61. He left it short by about 5 feet and holed the par putt.

“When I got to 6 under through 14 I thought, ‘Oh, I’ve got a chance.’ I would have liked to give myself a birdie chance at the last, but happy to make par,” Fox said.

He played alongside Xander Schauffele, the only player with 62 twice in a major. Schauffele and Rickie Fowler each shot 62 in the 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club — like Herbert and Burns, they were playing two groups apart — and Schauffele and Shane Lowry each shot 62 in the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla.

Haeran Ryu set the record in women's majors last week with a 60 in the final round of the Evian Championship, which has yielded all the top scores in LPGA majors since it was designated one 13 years ago.

Schauffele is the only player with 62 in a major to win. Fox, who made the cut with one shot to spared, finished atop the leaderboard with Herbert, who was still more than an hour away from teeing off in the third round.

The links have rarely been this brown and fast, but it’s the wind — or lack of it — that has allowed for such low scoring this week.

Fox, one of the strongest players in golf with his rugby heritage, leaned on his driver for much of the round and set up good scoring chances.

“The game plan was to be aggressive,” Fox said. “I was aggressive on a lot of good wedge shots. Pretty happy with 62 at the end.”

All but one of his nine birdies — Fox made his lone bogey on the 13th with a drive into a pot bunker — came from about 10 feet or closer. His drive on the 321-yard fifth hole was about 30 feet from the hole, and his most important shot was a wedge from the rough on the par-5 17th that rolled out to about 4 feet.

Herbert also had a bogey on his card during his 62 on Friday.

There have been weeks of soft conditions or little wind — two elements that lead to low scores — at previous majors. Seven major courses — three of them links courses — have yielded two rounds of 63 or lower in the same championship.

Royal Birkdale is the first to give up three of them — with half of the field Saturday and the final round still to come.

- Doug Ferguson | AP

PGA TOUR HIGHLIGHTS | ROUND 4 | COGNIZANT CLASSIC | 2026

 

SHANE LOWRY MAKES HEARTBREAKING ADMISSION ABOUT HIS DAUGHTER AFTER BARELY BELIEVABLE PGA COLLAPSE

After somehow blowing a three-shot lead in the final stages of the Cognizant Classic on Sunday afternoon, Shane Lowry's agony was compounded by having his young daughter watching the nightmare unfold.

The Irishman looked on course for a commanding victory at Palm Beach Gardens with youngest daughter Ivy, four, watching on and hoping to see her dad win for the first time. 

But then the ghosts Lowry has faced at this tournament before came back to haunt him. He inexplicably hit his tee shots into water on the 16th and 17th holes to record costly back-to-back double bogeys and snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

To his credit, Lowry still stepped up and spoke to the media moments after his scarcely believable collapse and said the heartbreak hit harder with his daughter nearby.

'I'm obviously extremely disappointed,' Lowry said. 'I had the tournament in my hands and I threw it away. What more can I say?  

'The hardest thing about today is that I've never won in front of my four-year-old.

'She was there waiting for me and I only wanted it for her today. I didn't care about anything else, I wanted so bad to see her little ginger head running out on the 18th green would have been the most special thing in the world.

Lowry has scar tissue from this particular event, having led until the latter, rain-hit stages in 2022 and also failing to convert a final-day advantage into victory two years ago.  

His errors cleared the way for Nico Echavarria of Colombia to close out a two-stroke victory on 17 under, with Lowry slipping back into a three-way tie for second on 15 under. 

'I played unbelievable all day and then one bad shot on 16 and it completely threw me for the last three holes. It's never happened to me before,' he explained.

'I said to Darren (Reynolds, his caddie) "how do I feel like this now when I went through what I did last September at Bethpage (at the Ryder Cup) and I got through it fine?"'

'It was weird out there, I just couldn't feel the club face on the last three holes after my tee shot on 16, it was strange.'

'I thought I had it, I thought I was going to win. I didn't get ahead of myself but I was so comfortable out there. And then... I did the only thing I couldn't really do.'

Lowry said the loss hurt because he has never won with daughter Ivy watching him play

Lowry has two children, Iris and Ivy, with his wife Wendy. It is Ivy who Lowry, a major winner at the 2019 British Open, has never won in front of.

Lowry has scar tissue from this particular event, having led until the latter, rain-hit stages in 2022 and also failing to convert a final-day advantage into victory two years ago.  

His errors cleared the way for Nico Echavarria of Colombia to close out a two-stroke victory on 17 under, with Lowry slipping back into a three-way tie for second on 15 under. 

'I played unbelievable all day and then one bad shot on 16 and it completely threw me for the last three holes. It's never happened to me before,' he explained.

'I said to Darren (Reynolds, his caddie) "how do I feel like this now when I went through what I did last September at Bethpage (at the Ryder Cup) and I got through it fine?"'

'It was weird out there, I just couldn't feel the club face on the last three holes after my tee shot on 16, it was strange.'

Echavarria, meanwhile, posted a flawless 66 for his final round to claim victory. 

Brooks Koepka, meanwhile, finished in a tie for ninth on 10 under after a final-round 65, his best showing since returning to the PGA Tour from LIV Golf. 

- JACK BEZANTS

SHANE LOWRY LAMENTS LAST-HOLE 'DISASTER' AS IRISHMAN LOSES IN DUBAI

Shane Lowry lamented a last-hole “disaster” as his hopes of landing a first individual win since 2022 slipped out of his grasp in the Dubai Invitational, the opening event of the new calendar year on the DP World Tour.

Shane Lowry takes a penalty drop on the 18th hole on day four of the Dubai Invitational at Dubai Creek Resort | Andrew Redington/Getty Images

Victory at Dubai Creek went to Spaniard Nacho Elvira after Lowry, who held a one-shot lead on the 18th tee in the final round, signed off with a double-bogey 6 after going long with his approach then overcooking his escape from a bunker and finding the water.

“That was a disaster - that's what that was,” admitted Lowry, who deserved credit for talking to a small group of reporters when he was clearly hurting. “What can you do? You have to just learn from it and move on, lads.

“This game is nuts. I've just started my 18th season on tour and I'll never figure it out. I tried my best, did everything I could and hit the wrong club up the last. And that cost me a play-off.”

On a treacherous final hole, Lowry was just off the fairway with a peach of a drive only to then go long with his approach from 139 yards just as Elvira was holing a seven-footer for a birdie at the 17th to move level with him.

“I was just trying to hit a soft 9,” added Lowry. “If you hit a wedge at the flag and it comes out a little soft, it goes right into the water. In hindsight, I probably would have been better doing that because you get it up and down from there. But the bunker shot was shocking - it's not good enough.”

Lowry teamed up with McIlroy to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in 2024 and was also part of a winning team once again in the Ryder Cup in New York last year, when the former Open champion holed the putt on the 18th green in the singles to retain the trophy for Europe.

It stung, though, to miss out on what would have been a first solo success since the 2022 BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth. “I should be winning that,” he declared, having had to settle for a share of third place after a closing 69. “But I didn't and this is going to hurt for a day or two. I haven't won in a few years. It's hard to get over the line.

“I know this is not the biggest tournament in the world. But you've still got to beat Rory McIlroy down the stretch. I did that. I just gave it to Nacho at the end. It's a bit of a disaster and I'll lick my wounds and move on and get going for next week.”

Shane Lowry was left “licking my wonds” after a sore finish in the first DP World Tour event of 2026 | Andrew Redington/Getty Images

McIlroy, who finished second behind Tommy Fleetwood in the event’s inaugural edition in 2024, had to settle for a share of third place on this occasion.

The Masters champion stormed into contention after making five birdies in a row - the burst equalled his career best, from the ninth and was half a roll away from making it six in a row as his putt at the par-3 14th came up agonisingly short.

Like Lowry, he found the bunker at the back of the 18th green and, as was the case two years earlier, finished with a disappointing bogey.

“Yeah, got it going in the middle of the round a little bit,” reflected the Masters champion. “Started hitting some good shots and making some putts. Yeah, it was a nice period of golf and that one at the par 3 could have gone in and kept it going.

“Yeah, this was always a week to just sort of get back at it and sort of get ready for next week I guess, more so than anything else. Saw some good signs, still didn't feel like I was very sharp out there for the most part, but felt like I was getting there as the week went on.”

It was the 16th time in 19 years in opening tournaments that McIlroy had started his year with a top-five finish. “Not bad is it,” he said. “Yeah, saw some decent signs out there, feel like I still need to sharpen up the game a little bit if I want to contend next week (in the Hero Dubai Desert Classic).

“I guess when you're in the mindset of just sort of, I guess, using rounds as, I don't want to say practise, because that sort of belittles what we're trying to do. But it's more you're preparing for the big part of the season, I guess, from April through to July. You're just really trying to see where your game's at and just trying to make little adjustments and tweaks here and there when you need to.”

McIlroy was speaking just before Lowry finished his round and, though it wasn’t to be on this occasion, he is confident that his good friend will be back in the winner’s enclosure before too long.

Rory McIlroy came close again in the Dubai Invitationalat Dubai Creek Resort | Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images

“Yeah, I think the Ryder Cup was a huge moment for him,” he said. “We've talked about it a lot, we're not spring chickens anymore. Shane's 38, I'm 36, I'm going to be 37 this year, he's going to be 39. We're playing for those bigger moments in our careers - majors and Ryder Cups.

“Obviously, I think it would be important to him to just get a few more wins on the CV, but all the wins that he has had have been very, very big. He's had some huge moments in the game, and we spend so much time together and we talk about it. Just trying to create those big moments is the driving force for the rest of our careers, basically.”

Elvira, who closed with a 69 to win by a shot from Kiwi Daniel Hillier, landed his third DP World Tour triumph, jumping 72 spots to fourth in the Race to Dubai heading into the opening Rolex Series event of the season at Emirates Golf Club.

Ewen Ferguson and Grant Forrest shared the honour of leading Scot as they both finished on one under to share 20th spot while Connor Syme (three over) and Calum Hill (nine over) ended up 30th and joint-47th respectively.

- Martin Dempster

WAKING UP WITH A HANGOVER...AND A £230K BILL! EUROPE'S RYDER CUP HEROES' PARTY DETAILS EMERGE

The following morning, Lowry had shared on social media that he 'might have a hangover'

Shane Lowry danced on a table as Team Europe partied long into the night to celebrate their barnstorming win on foreign soil on Sunday night - with the stars believed to have racked up a staggering £230,000 bar bill to prove it. 

Captain Luke Donald's men retained the storied trophy amid a turbulent atmosphere at Bethpage Black in New York during a contest that became as notable for what was happening off the green as what was happening on it. 

The visitors were subject to a volley of boos and verbal abuse from when play started on Friday, through to a toxic Saturday which saw Rory McIlory targeted the most heavily by fans held back by the additional security required as tensions mounted. 

The Masters champion was forced to listen to vile chants of 'f*** you, Rory' and abuse directed at his personal life and his wife Erica Stoll. 

Stoll was even hit by a drink in ugly scenes on Saturday afternoon, with a fan hurling a cup at her head as she watched her husband, and is reported to have left the event that night in tears after a draining day in Farmingdale. 

After toiling in a hostile atmosphere for three days, the visitors were able to reap the rewards

But with a historic 15-13 win secured, the European contingent were free to let their hair down, and enjoy the fruits of their victory - smashing at least 120 bottles of vintage Moet Champagne as they quenched their well-earned thirst. 

As per the Sun, this meant having the opportunity to sample a number of fine wines and Champagnes at their after-party, with the celebrations reportedly coming to a hefty £230,000 total. 

The team's festivities are thought to have seen the partying golfers order 120 bottles of Moet & Chandon Brut Imperial Champagne, which at £967 per bottle, added up to £116,109's worth of top-shelf fizz.

Team Europe's Ryder Cup bar bill 

Moet & Chandon Brut Imperial Champagne - 120 bottles - £116,000 

Moet et Chandon MCIII - 60 bottles - £37,000

Moet et Chandon Rose Champagnes - 60 bottles - £37,000

Belvedere vodka - 10 bottles - £18,000

Limited edition Hennessey 250th Anniversary cognac - 10 bottles - £22,000

Total: £230,000 

60 bottles of Moet & Chandon's MCIII multi-vintage and the label's rose champagne were also believed to be on tap, costing £74,053. 

As well as wines, Europe's stars could also sample vodka - £18,000-worth of Belvedere at £1,861 per bottle - and cognac, in the form of 10 limited edition Hennessy 250th Anniversary bottles, worth £2,233 each. 

The golfers were also thought to have been offered ultra-rare bottles of Hennessy Richard Lunar New Year 2025 cognac, worth a jaw-dropping £14,896 a bottle. 

But rather than keep the well-stocked bar to themselves, Donald is believed to have been keen to extend the party to all of the support staff involved in the victory, including wives and partners of the players, and their families. 

Lowry - who earned the half-point on Sunday afternoon to retain the Ryder Cup - admitted on social media on Monday morning that he 'might have a hangover' in an amusing deadpan post. 

The Irishman was captured on video from inside the party celebrating in style, climbing onto a table and dancing with the glittering gold Ryder Cup in hand. 

Lowry had earned the half-point which eventually won Europe the trophy on foreign soil

Grooving to I'm Good (Blue) by Bebe Rexha and David Guetta, Lowry at one point sunk to his knees, before continuing to dance while briefly imitating Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez's infamous Golden Glove celebration from the 2022 World Cup with the Ryder Cup. 

Lowry had been overcome with emotion after pulling off what he referred to as 'the coolest thing in (his) life' at the end of his singles match, calling the win 'a dream come true'. 

'The Ryder Cup means everything to me,' Lowry said. 'Honestly, I've won The Open in Ireland; it's amazing, it's a dream come true. But the Ryder Cup for me is everything.

'To do that there today on the 18th green in front of everyone... it was so hard out there.

'I mean, fair play to the U.S. lads; we knew they were going to come out fighting.'

Footage had previously emerged of the team celebrating on the bus seemingly en route to the party, with the team and their partners singing along to Zombie by the Cranberries - but with McIlroy's first name substituted into the chorus. 

McIlroy had been on triumphant form himself in the winners' press conference, after an arduous three days of playing in the most hostile of environments - and was in the mood to celebrate. 

When asked how satisfying it had been to 'tell the crowd to shut the eff up and the stiff it to 2 feet', McIlroy had cheekily replied: 'Very f***ing satisfying'. 

- TAMARA PRENN

SVENSSON TOPS APHIBARNRAT ON 3RD PLAYOFF HOLE TO WIN SINGAPORE CLASSIC

 SINGAPORE (AP) — Jesper Svensson won his first European Tour event on Sunday after beating Kiradech Aphibarnrat in a playoff at the Singapore Classic.

Svensson tapped in for par at the par-5 18th and the win at the third playoff hole after Aphibarnrat could only make bogey after his third shot rolled off the green and down the slope at the back at the Laguna National Golf Resort Club.

The Swedish player shot a 9-under-par 63 in the final round to match the course record, one better than his Thai opponent, with both finishing on 17 under 271 overall to force the playoff.

Both players made birdies on the first playoff hole and the matched par scores on the second before the decisive third trip up the 18th.

“It’s been a lot of good golf so it was nice to finally come out on top,” Svensson said. “It’s very hard to win so it’s really nice.

“It’s been a long journey. To win on my first season out here, I couldn’t have dreamt of it. It’s always been a dream to be a winner... and to achieve it feels amazing."

Overnight leader David Micheluzzi finished in a share of seventh place after a final-round 73 left him on 12 under for the tournament.

Shane Lowry’s 72 left the former British Open champion nine shots off the lead.

MICKELSON, MORIKAWA MISS OPEN CUT, SMITH JUST MAKES IT

Reuters

Americans Phil Mickelson and Collin Morikawa were among former champions to miss the cut in the British Open at Hoylake on Friday.

Defending champion Cameron Smith was in danger of joining them but the Australian played a superb six iron to he final green and holed an eagle that sent him through to the weekend action.

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Shane Lowry anaongoza michuono mikubwa sana kwenye calender ya Golf...Lowry yuko -5 akifuatiwa na Andrew Landry -2...Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood na Dustin Johnson wote wako -1...Lowry bado ana mashimo 4 ya kumalizia kabla hajaanza round ya mwisho Jumapili ndani ya Oakmond Country Club...Bofya hapa upate habari zaidi.