New Delhi, July 17 -- SOUTHPORT - The five-foot putt on the 18th green at Royal Birkdale slid past the right edge. Lucas Herbert gathered his card, signed for a 62, and left with a number that has never been beaten in a major championship. The first 61 in major golf history remained, as it has always been, a possibility nobody has yet converted.

eight under for the tournament, two shots clear of the field with two rounds remaining at the 154th edition of the oldest major in golf.

Jackson Suber, the 26-year-old American whose debut 65 on Thursday produced the first-round lead after just 27 career holes of links golf, shot 69 on Friday to reach six under and remain in second. The gap between Suber's position and Herbert's lead widened fro...