Herbert's record 62 sends him clear at The Open

Lucas Herbert seized control of The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, firing a record-equalling 62 to move to eight under par at the halfway stage. The Australian's second round was one for the history books: he went out in 28, the lowest nine-hole score ever recorded in a men's major championship, and briefly looked capable of shooting the first sub-61 round in a major before settling for the joint-lowest round in Open history.

He did not have the record to himself for long. Sam Burns matched the 62 barely half an hour later, capping his round by holing out from a greenside bunker on the 18th. Burns had opened with a 73, so the turnaround was dramatic, and it lifted him to five under and into weekend contention.

A crowded chase

Bryson DeChambeau sits alone in second at seven under, a shot back of Herbert. First-round leader Jackson Suber, the Open debutant who stunned the field with an opening 65, remains firmly in the picture at six under, tied with Cameron Young and Ryan Gerard. Defending champion Scottie Scheffler is lurking at five under, level with Burns and well within range heading into the weekend.

There was relief, too, for Rory McIlroy. The Masters champion had laboured to a two-over 72 on Thursday, but a bounce-back 67 on Friday carried him to one under and safely inside the cut. With a stacked leaderboard and a firm, breezy Birkdale test, the weekend promises a fight, but for now the story belongs to Herbert and a morning of record-breaking golf.