Ryan Fox matched the lowest round ever recorded in a men’s major championship by shooting a 62 during the third round of The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale on Saturday. The New Zealand golfer’s performance placed him in a share of the lead alongside Lucas Herbert and Sam Burns, who both posted identical scores in the preceding 24 hours.

Fox began his round strongly, going out in 29 with five birdies across seven holes starting from the second. Despite a single bogey on the 13th hole, he finished the back nine in 33, equaling the tally posted by Herbert of Australia and Burns of the United States. Herbert and Burns were due to begin their rounds more than an hour after Fox. At one point, Fox narrowly missed an opportunity to become the first player to break 61 at a major when his 48-foot birdie putt from a fairway bunker fell four feet short.

Fox’s playing partner, Xander Schauffele, holds the distinction of having recorded two rounds of 62 in major championships, underscoring the quality of play on the course. Reflecting on his round, Fox acknowledged a few drives that could have been better but expressed satisfaction with the overall performance under Saturday’s conditions.

Not all top contenders found scoring equally straightforward. Masters champion Rory McIlroy struggled to capitalize on relatively favorable weather and course conditions. Consecutive bogeys at the third and fourth holes, including a missed par putt from inside five feet, dropped him to one-over on the day. McIlroy responded with a birdie at the fifth, which he reached on the green in two shots, and followed this with an eagle chip at the ninth hole, a highlight of his round. However, a further bogey at the 11th left him even for the round and seven strokes behind the leaders.

Bryson DeChambeau likewise had a challenging start to the day but made progress following a rules controversy from the second round. The two-time U.S. Open champion received a two-shot penalty for inadvertently improving his lie when stepping on long grass near his ball in the rough on the fifth hole. After the penalty was confirmed late on Friday evening, DeChambeau resumed play on Saturday afternoon and posted a four-under-par 66, moving him within one stroke of the lead.

Local favorite Tommy Fleetwood, Englishman Matt Wallace, and world number one Scottie Scheffler were among those just four shots behind the leaders as they began their third rounds. With the championship entering its final day, the leaderboard remains tightly packed, setting the stage for a competitive finish at Royal Birkdale.