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Sam Burns Takes Lead at 2026 Open Championship After Third Round
Sam Burns shot a 5-under 65 on Saturday to reach 10-under par and move two strokes clear at Royal Birkdale. Ryan Fox and Si Woo Kim sit at 8-under, with several players within four strokes heading into the final round.
Jul 18, 4:02 AM·1m read12 sources
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Sam Burns moved into the lead of the 2026 Open Championship after the third round at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England. He shot 5-under 65 on Saturday to finish at 10-under par for the tournament. Ryan Fox and Si Woo Kim sit two strokes behind at 8-under par.
Ryan Gerard and Lucas Herbert are tied for fourth at 7-under, while Ludvig Aberg, Bryson DeChambeau and Jackson Suber share sixth place at 6-under. DeChambeau received a two-stroke penalty during the second round for stomping on long grass at the fifth hole. He responded with a 69 on Saturday and birdied the 15th and 17th holes to stay within striking distance.
Jon Rahm slammed his club into the turf at the 15th hole after a tee shot went left but received no penalty under the tournament's conduct policy. Lucas Herbert and Sam Burns both shot 8-under 62 in the second round to tie the record for the lowest score in a men's major. Ryan Fox matched that mark on Friday, becoming the seventh player to record a 62 in a major.
The cut after two rounds fell at 1-over par, sending 78 players into the weekend. Rory McIlroy shot 69 on Saturday to reach 2-under par. Scottie Scheffler stands at 4-under and is tied for 11th. The winner will receive $3.2 million from a total purse of $17.75 million, an increase of $500,000 from 2025.
Round 3 began at 4:10 a.m. ET with coverage on USA Network from 5 to 7 a.m. and on NBC and Peacock from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET. Burns and DeChambeau teed off together at 10:30 a.m. ET under partial sunshine with a high of 71°F and north-northwest winds gusting to 21 mph.
