Sports
Burns builds Open lead after Fox's historic round and DeChambeau's fightback
July 18, 2026
Source: SkySports | News · Read on source site
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
>Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
>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.
>Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
>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.
>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.
>Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
>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.
>Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
>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."
>Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
>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."
>Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
>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.
>Get the best prices and book a round at one of 1,700 courses across the UK & Ireland