Burns Leads the 2026 Open Into Sunday's Final Round

Burns Leads the 2026 Open Into Sunday’s Final Round

Sport

By lines

July 19, 2026

Lines Open Championship 2026 Final Round

Sam Burns owns the 2026 Open Championship lead after 54 holes at Royal Birkdale. Burns sits at 10 under par, two shots clear of the field. One round now stands between Burns and his first major title.

Royal Birkdale Sets Up a Sunday Shootout

Burns fired a 5 under 65 on Saturday to stretch his lead to two shots. Burns had already matched the Open scoring record with a 62 on Friday. Those back-to-back rounds rank as the two lowest in major championship history. Si Woo Kim and Ryan Fox share second place at 8 under par. Burns nearly skipped this Open after his wife, Caroline, welcomed their second child weeks ago.

Ryan Fox became the third player to shoot 62 at Royal Birkdale this week. Lucas Herbert also carded a 62 and sits at 8 under par. Fox and Herbert now trail Burns by two shots each. Americans Ryan Gerard and Jackson Suber share fifth at 7 under. Five players sit within three shots of Burns entering the final round.

Burns has never won a major championship across his PGA Tour career. Scottie Scheffler arrived at Royal Birkdale as the defending Open champion. Scheffler also entered the week ranked number one in the world. Yet Scheffler shot 70 on Saturday and trails Burns by six at 4 under. Scheffler has ranked among the best ball-strikers this week but has struggled on the greens.

Royal Birkdale ranks among the Open Championship’s most storied host courses. The Southport links last staged the Open in 2017. Jordan Spieth won that Open Championship at Royal Birkdale nine years ago. Three players have already matched the major scoring record of 62 this week. That barrage of low scoring has reshaped the leaderboard entering Sunday.

The winner on Sunday lifts the Claret Jug at Royal Birkdale. Burns would break through for his first career major title. Scottie Scheffler chases back-to-back Open Championship titles this weekend. Ryan Fox and Si Woo Kim both seek their own first major as well. Tommy Fleetwood remains alive at 4 under, six shots behind Burns at 10 under.

The final round of the 2026 Open Championship begins Sunday, July 19. Burns tees off in the last group holding a two-shot lead. Royal Birkdale has already surrendered three rounds of 62 this week. Eighteen holes now decide the year’s final men’s major.