The Open: Sam Burns takes two-shot lead into final day as Ryan Fox equals major history and Bryson DeChambeau fights back
Sam Burns carded a five-under 65 to sit top of The Open leaderboard ahead of Ryan Fox and Si Woo Kim; Bryson DeChambeau four back as he bounced back from Friday's rules controversy; watch the final day live on Sunday from 8am on Sky Sports Golf
By Ali Stafford at Royal Birkdale
Last Updated: 19/07/26 12:38pm
Sam Burns takes a two-shot lead into the final round of The 154th Open, as Ryan Fox matched major history and Bryson DeChambeau stayed in title contention.
Burns - playing alongside DeChambeau - boosted his hopes of a maiden major title after mixing six birdies with a lone bogey in a third-round 65 at Royal Birkdale, lifting him to 10 under ahead of Fox and Si Woo Kim.
Fox had capitalised on benign conditions earlier in the day to post a eight-under 62, joining Burns and overnight leader Lucas Herbert the previous day in equalling the lowest major round in men's history.
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Herbert scrambled a closing par to post a one-over 71 and share fourth with Ryan Gerard, while DeChambeau is the only past major champion inside the top 10 heading into an intriguing Sunday.
DeChambeau responded to being handed a two-shot penalty for a rules infringement the previous day to briefly get within two of the lead, only to bogey the final-hole of a one-under 69 and fall four strokes behind.
Burns leads with DeChambeau in hunt after rules drama
DeChambeau had hinted at pulling out of the tournament after Friday's penalty incident, referred to by McIlroy as 'performative' and 'holding the tournament hostage', then returned to make a slow start to this third round.
The American missed from five feet to save par at the second but holed from long-range to pick up a shot at the par-four sixth, as playing partner Burns made an early charge by posting four birdies in his first eight holes to grab the early lead.
DeChambeau missed a three-foot birdie chance at the ninth, where Burns carded his only bogey of the day, then failed to take advantage of the par-five 14th as Burns drained a 30-footer for birdie.
Burns found himself two ahead when Herbert - playing two groups behind - carded back-to-back bogeys late in his round, as DeChambeau closed within three after making a six-foot birdie at the 15th.
DeChambeau matched Burns' birdie at the 17th but hit a wayward drive on his way to a bogey at the par-four last, as Burns two-putted from 30 feet to move a big step closer to a maiden major win.
"I think yesterday was just so far out of the golf tournament and just needed to play a really good round to get myself back in it and was fortunate enough to do that," Burns said. "Then today I got off to a nice start. I was just trying to focus on executing and give myself as many looks as possible, and we did a good job of that."
Kim posted a third-round 67 to share second with Fox, ahead of Gerard (69) and Herbert (71), while first-round leader Jackson Suber and Denmark's Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen sit alongside DeChambeau on six under.
"I'd want a couple of drives back today maybe, but outside of that, I feel like I didn't really miss a shot," Fox said after posting the eighth '62 round' in men's major history. "Had a couple of great shots down the stretch, putted really nicely."
Home favourite Tommy Fleetwood bogeyed two of his last four holes to slip five strokes back, with defending champion Scottie Scheffler six adrift after a level-par 70 and Rory McIlroy sitting eight behind.
"If I go out tomorrow and get to double digits, you never know, but I certainly am not going out tomorrow thinking like I've got a great chance to win," McIlroy admitted. "Played okay for the most part. It was a little scrappy in areas."
When is The Open live on Sky Sports?
Sky Sports is once again the exclusive home of The Open in the UK and Ireland, with wall-to-wall action from the final men's major of the year throughout the weekend on Sky Sports Golf.
'Sunday at The Open' will kick off the final-round coverage from 8am on Sky Sports Golf, with early play on Sky Sports+ and the Sky Sports App ahead of full coverage on Sky Sports Golf from 10am. Featured Groups will also be available on Sky Sports+ or the Sky Sports App.
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