SOUTHPORT, England — Sam Burns rose to the highest of the leaderboard on Shifting Day on the 154th British Open Championship at Royal Birkdale on Saturday.
Burns, aiming for his first main victory, may have a two-stroke lead over New Zealand’s Ryan Fox and South Korea’s Kim Si-woo.
The previous 11 British Open champions all entered the ultimate spherical with no less than a four-stroke lead. And every of the previous 25 golfers to raise the Claret Jug was within the prime 10 heading into Sunday.
Burns, who suffered a close to miss eventually month’s U.S. Open at Sinek Hills Golf Membership on Lengthy Island, is hoping to seal the deal this time round.
“On the finish of the day, you’ll be able to’t management what different individuals do,” Burns stated after ending with a 5-under 65 on Saturday. “Tomorrow somebody goes to exit and play an ideal spherical of golf. Perhaps a couple of individuals. That is just about a given. It occurs each week.
“So, I will need to do the identical factor. I will need to exit and execute. On the finish of the day, it doesn’t matter what occurs, I do know that I can settle for the end result and life will transfer on.”
Listed below are the highest favorites to win Sunday’s Claret Jug.
Sam Burns (10 beneath)
Why he wins: Burns is among the prime golfers on this planet who has but to win a serious. Burns struggled mightily within the Huge 4 early in his profession, however has completed within the prime 10 in 4 of his previous 9.
Barnes was a ball-striking machine this week. He hit 17 of 18 greens in regulation on Saturday, enhancing his method by six strokes or extra by way of 54 holes.
Moreover, Barnes seems to be taking part in with the home’s cash. With the pending start of his daughter Belle, he wasn’t even positive if he would play on this week’s British Open. His second baby was born on July 3, and his spouse, Caroline, helped persuade him to cross the pond for the season’s ultimate main.
A textual content message alternate along with his spouse was simply what Burns wanted after ending the primary spherical with three consecutive bogeys.
He got here out Friday with an 8-under 62, matching the bottom spherical of a serious championship.
“Yeah, I actually assume she gave me the encouragement I wanted and a kick within the ass in a means,” Burns stated.
Why he cannot win: Barnes has struggled and are available near profitable a serious a number of occasions over the previous two years, however has by no means come near profitable.
Eventually month’s U.S. Open, he began the ultimate spherical with a seven-stroke lead over chief Windham Clark, and virtually chased him down. His birdie putt on the 18th gap missed the opening by a half-inch, and Burns fell to his knees.
Burns entered the ultimate spherical of the 2024 U.S. Open at Oakmont Nation Membership with a 54-hole lead, however was denied water aid on the fifteenth gap in pouring rain and was tied for seventh.
Ryan Fox (8 beneath)
Why he wins: The New Zealand native returned to motion on Saturday, changing into the eighth golfer this week to shoot a record-low 62 in a serious championship spherical.
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Ryan Fox on tying main first-round report: “I by no means thought it could be 62”
Enjoying in calm circumstances with little wind on Saturday morning, Fox hit 15 of 18 greens and wanted simply 25 putts. He sank a 140-foot putt and had 9 birdies and one bogey.
Fox has a observe report of closing, having received 19 occasions all over the world. Final 12 months, he received the One Flight Myrtle Seaside Traditional in a playoff over Harry Higgs and Mackenzie Hughes. A month later, he received once more, defeating Burns in a playoff on the RBC Canadian Open.
On Saturday, Fox stated he plans to stay energetic on Sunday as he seeks his first main win.
“I simply decide my pictures and take them,” Fox stated. “Nothing adjustments recreation plan-wise. We went in with a reasonably aggressive technique all day, and we did the identical factor yesterday and performed fairly first rate. So we’ll do the identical factor tomorrow and see what occurs.”
Why he would not: He scored a 62 on Saturday morning in calm circumstances with no wind, giving him extra probabilities to attain. Will he be as efficient when the wind adjustments path within the afternoon and blows?
Kim Si Woo (8 beneath)
Why he wins: Whereas a lot of this week’s consideration was targeted on Bryson DeChambeau and his trio of 62-second runs, Kim quietly moved up the leaderboard with back-to-back 67-second runs.
Kim, twenty first within the Official World Golf Rankings, hasn’t received on the PGA Tour in almost three years. However he’s taking part in the perfect golf of his profession with 11 top-25 finishes in 19 begins. He was runner-up in each the Farmers Insurance coverage Open and the CJ Cup, Byron Nelson.
Kim is among the finest iron gamers on tour. He ranks third in Strokes Gained: Strategy (.732). This week’s stats present he is gaining about 4 and a half strokes.
Why he cannot win: Will Kim’s putts be capable of face up to the strain? He ranks 99th on tour in Strokes Gained: Placing (-.094) this week, however his putter is vibrant crimson at Royal Birkdale. He gained 3.70 strokes on the inexperienced within the first three rounds.
Kim wasn’t an ideal hyperlinks participant till this week. He had one top-25 end in seven begins on the British Open, with extra missed cuts (4) than successes (three).
Why he wins: Few anticipate Gerard to raise the Claret Jug on Sunday, so maybe he can proceed to fly beneath the radar.
In simply his second full season on the PGA Tour, Gerrard is exhibiting loads of indicators of constructing strides. He received the 2025 Barracuda Championship and has completed runner-up thrice this season. On June 4th at The Memorial, they misplaced in a playoff in opposition to JT Poston.
Gerrard would not have loads of hyperlink expertise, however Royal Birkdale has suited him properly to date.
“Lots of people stated that to me even earlier than I got here right here final 12 months,” Gerrard stated. “I really feel snug shifting the ball in each instructions after I must, hitting completely different home windows, and making flying pictures, particularly in direction of the inexperienced.
“I really feel fairly good about how enterprise has gone to date, however yeah, there’s nonetheless loads of golf left to play and it isn’t going to be straightforward tomorrow.”
Why he cannot win: Historical past doesn’t favor his victory. Solely 10 golfers have received the British Open of their first look, together with Ben Curtis in 2003 and Collin Morikawa in 2021.
Why he wins: Herbert is taken into account among the finest putters within the recreation, and that was evident Friday when he joined Burns with an 8-under 62. He narrowly missed the putt on the 18th, almost giving him his solely report of 61.
Herbert returned Saturday with a 1-over 71. Nonetheless, he birdied the fifteenth and sixteenth and hit one among his finest pictures of the event on the par-5 seventeenth. After receiving a one-stroke penalty for an unplayable lie, he hit his third shot blind over the dunes to twenty 1/2 ft and two-putted for par.
He got here out slightly scorching, profitable wire-to-wire on the LIV Golf Event in Potomac Falls, Va., on Could 10.
Why he cannot win: Herbert has by no means completed within the prime 10 within the majors. He had not certified since ending tied for forty third on the 2024 PGA Championship.
Why he wins: Oberg, 26, is well one of the gifted golfers within the prime 10 going into the ultimate spherical, regardless that he has solely received twice on the PGA Tour. Different golfers envy his easy swing and his relaxed demeanor, as calm as if there had been no wind off the Irish Sea this week.
There’s nothing Oberg did not do properly this week. He is gaining strokes off the tee (2.31), on method (1.36), across the inexperienced (2.94) and placing (1.34).
Why he cannot win: Will he be capable of shut? On the Gamers Championship in March, Oberg entered the ultimate spherical at TPC Sawgrass with a three-stroke lead. He performed properly up entrance on Sunday, however then put his balls within the water at Nos. 11 and 12, leading to bogey and double bogey, respectively, and was eradicated from competition for the championship. He completed the spherical with a 4-over 76 and tied for fifth place with 9 beneath.
His quick recreation was excellent this week, however that is usually his largest weak spot. Can you retain it like this?
Bryson DeChambeau (6 beneath)
Why he wins: DeChambeau was given a two-stroke penalty by the R&A for enhancing his swing path earlier than hitting his second shot on the fifth gap in Friday’s second spherical, leaving him with an England-sized chip on his shoulder.
Rory McIlroy did not mince phrases when speaking about DeChambeau on Saturday.
Regardless of all of the controversy and confusion, DeChambeau completed Saturday with a 1-under 69.
Maybe he needs nothing greater than to stay it to the normal golf world that has not embraced the R&A fits, McIlroy and his efforts to develop the sport by way of YouTube and LIV Golf.
Why he would not: With too many distractions, his aggressive recreation plan backfired and he misplaced by one level.
Why he wins: It was the final word underdog story and would go down as one of the outstanding victories in main championship historical past.
Suber had by no means even been to Europe earlier than arriving within the UK on Saturday. He had by no means performed on a hyperlinks course till his first follow spherical at Royal Birkdale. Nonetheless, he carded a 65 to change into the primary spherical chief and did properly sufficient to remain inside vary.
Why he cannot win: As a result of above causes.
Why he wins: Fleetwood, who grew up in Southport, may have all of England rooting for him on Sunday. A British golfer has not received the British Open since Nick Faldo received his third Claret Jug in 1992. He’s the primary British golfer to win in his dwelling nation since Tony Jacklin in 1969.
Fleetwood is England’s solely likelihood to finish their lengthy drought, with Aaron Rye, Justin Rose and Matt Fitzpatrick lacking out on Saturday, with Daniel Brown (4 beneath), Matt Wallace (2 beneath), Alex Fitzpatrick (1 beneath) and Tyrrell Hatton (1 over) fading out.
Fleetwood are unlikely to win, however they don’t have anything to lose on Sunday.
“There’s actually no strain in any respect aside from my very own expectations, and naturally it is actually nice that the city has so many expectations for me and desires me to do properly,” Fleetwood stated. “I could not ask for extra from hundreds of individuals all over the world. No, I do not really feel any strain. I felt nervous, excited and adrenaline this week, however these are my very own expectations.”
Why he cannot win: He is too far behind and there are too many nice golfers in entrance of him.
