Updated July 17, 2026, 1:20 p.m. ET
Bryson DeChambeau, Scottie Scheffler and Collin Morikawa are among the world’s best golfers who started Round 2 of the 2026 Open Championship on Friday attempting to gain ground on the leaderboard.
Already in Friday’s second-round action, two golfers made Open history: Lucas Herbert and Sam Burns both finished their rounds with eight birdies, ending with an 8-under 62 to tie the major championship 18-scoring record.
Round 2 is also cut day at Royal Birkdale, with the field of 156 golfers trimmed to the top 70 (and ties) for the weekend. Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Jordan Spieth and Matt Fitzpatrick are in danger of missing the projected cut line if they don’t play well.
There’s a lot at stake and USA TODAY Sports is tracking everything that’s going on at Royal Birkdale as it happens. Here are live updates with the latest leaderboard, scores, highlights and analysis from the 2026 Open Championship:
2026 Open Championship live leaderboard
See the live 2026 Open Championship leaderboard here
Round 2 leaderboard
- 1. Lucas Herbert: -8 (F)
- T2. Jackson Suber: -6 (F)
- T2. Cameron Young: -6 (F)
- T4. Sam Burns: -5 (F)
- T4. Bryson DeChambeau: -5 (11)
- T4. Ryan Gerard: -5 (9)
- T7. Robert MacIntyre: -4 (F)
- T7. Alex Fitzpatrick: -4 (F)
- T7. Francesco Molinari: -4 (F)
- T7. Matt Wallace: -4 (F)
- T7. Bud Cauley: -4 (F)
- T7. Thomas Detry: -4 (F)
Click here for the full 2026 Open Championship leaderboard.
Bryson DeChambeau closing in on leaders after another birdie
Bryson DeChambeau is creeping closer to Lucas Herbert on the Open Championship leaderboard after his third birdie of Round 2 on No. 11 to move to 5-under for the tournament. DeChambeau has again been on point with other parts of his game besides the driver, with a bump-and-run play to set up a short birdie at No. 9 and an excellent approach shot at the 11th.
Tommy Fleetwood gets Tiger Woods shout out, Royal Birkdale roars
Tommy Fleetwood, the hometown favorite who grew up in Southport, England near Royal Birkdale Golf Club, is drawing attention to himself during a fast start to Round 2 at the Open Championship. Fleetwood is a clothing free agent in the golf world who has notably been spotted wearing a variety of gear during recent tournaments, including apparel from famous courses. For Friday’s second round, however, he was wearing a shirt from Tiger Woods’ brand, Sun Day Red.
And Woods noticed: “Lookin’ good out there,” the 18-time major winner tweeted at Fleetwood in the midst of Round 2 coverage. It’s unclear at this point if Fleetwood’s appearance in Sun Day Red is a precursor to a new endorsement deal. Fleetwood currently sits at 2-under for the tournament and 1-under for Friday’s round, and drew perhaps the biggest cheers of the tournament thus far with a long birdie putt on No. 2.
Alex Fitzpatrick makes major statement despite late bogey
One Fitzpatrick brother is in contention to win the 2026 Open Championship after Round 2 and the other isn’t going to play the weekend at Royal Birkdale. Only it’s not how most golf experts would have predicted. Alex Fitzpatrick, the younger brother of world No. 3 Matt Fitzpatrick, just closed out a round of 3-under 66 and sits among the top-10 on the leaderboard heading into Saturday’s third round. Matt Fitzpatrick finished Friday at +4 and won’t make the cut.
Alex Fitzpatrick, who earned his PGA Tour card earlier this season when he won the Zurich Classic playing on a team with his brother, capped off his rise with a beautiful bunker shot to set up a birdie at No. 17. He couldn’t close it out by saving par at No. 18 after a poor drive, but remains firmly in the mix for the Claret Jug.
Jordan Spieth in danger of missing cut after ugly double bogey
Jordan Spieth won the Open Championship when it was last held at Royal Birkdale in 2017. This year, he might not even get to play the weekend. Spieth just dropped to 4-over par for the tournament after a brutal three-putt on No. 7 led to a double bogey. All three putts were less than four feet from the cup. It followed a bogey at No. 6 after Spieth’s round had started with two birdies over the opening five holes.
Click here for USA TODAY’s live cut tracker from the 2026 Open Championship second round.
Robert MacIntyre vaults into top five with rare eagle
Here comes Robert MacIntyre to help add to the eclectic leaderboard at the 2026 Open Championship. The Scotsman just holed a 39-foot eagle putt over a slope on the 17th green to move to 5-under and join Sam Burns and Alex Fitzpatrick in a tie for fourth during Round 2 play at Royal Birkdale.
Rory McIlroy will survive Open Championship cut line
Rory McIlroy will play the weekend at the 2026 Open Championship after going bogey-free over his final 12 holes during Friday’s Round 2 and mixing in four birdies to get to 1-under for the tournament. His round stabilized near the turn after, with back-to-back birdies that included a 377-yard drive on No. 9 that rolled 11 feet from the hole. He’ll begin the third round Saturday seven shots back of leader Lucas Herbert.
Click here for USA TODAY’s live cut tracker from the 2026 Open Championship second round.
Bryson DeChambeau makes early move up leaderboard
Bryson DeChambeau is back in the mix near the top of the 2026 Open Championship leaderboard to start Round 2 after holing a 16-foot putt for an early birdie at No. 4. He’s now at 4-under for the tournament after an encouraging performance in Round 1.
What is the Open cut line?
The projected cut line for the 2026 British Open is currently even par. That means all golfers with a score of par or better would make it to the weekend at Royal Birkdale.
Scottie Scheffler opens with back-to-back pars
Scottie Scheffler, last year’s winner at the Open Championship at Royal Portush in Northern Ireland, has gone par-par to start his second round. Scheffler shot 2-under par during Thursday’s first round to keep himself on the right side of the possible cut line.
Sam Burns records a 62
Sam Burns found himself in the bunker on the 18th hole but executed a brilliant recovery, capping off his round with eight birdies and a superb 62. With this performance, Burns matches Lucas Herbert’s score and ties the Open record for lowest round.
Lowest rounds in golf major history
- Lucas Herbert, 2026 Open Championship, Royal Birkdale, Round 2, 8-under
- Shane Lowry, 2024 PGA Championship, Valhalla Golf Club, Round 3, 9-under
- Xander Schauffele, 2024 PGA Championship, Valhalla Golf Club, Round 1, 9-under
- Rickie Fowler, 2023 U.S. Open, Los Angeles Country Club, Round 1, 8-under
- Xander Schauffele, 2023 U.S. Open, Los Angeles Country Club, Round 1, 8-under
- Branden Grace, 2017 Open Championship, Royal Birkdale, Round 3, 8-under
Lucas Herbert narrowly misses history
Lucas Herbert’s par chance on 18 rimmed out, giving him a 62 in the second round and tying the major record for the lowest round in history. Herbert finishes his day at 8-under, two shots ahead of Jackson Suber.
Lucas Herbert on the doorstep of history
Lucas Herbert is on the verge of history and is on his way of breaking the major championship 18-hole scoring record of 62. The last player to card a 62 at The Open was Branden Grace in 2017.
Patrick Reed making moves up the leaderboard
Patrick Reed has caught fire, posting seven birdies through 14 holes to climb to 4-under and surge up the leaderboard. His strong play has vaulted him into a four-way tie for seventh place.
Lucas Herbert makes it look easy
Lucas Herbert continues his stellar round, carding another birdie at the 12th hole to extend his lead to 8-under in the second round.
Lucas Herbert extends his lead
Lucas Herbert continues his impressive form, extending his lead to 7-under in the second round after carding another birdie on the 11th hole.
Lucas Herbert in the solo lead
Lucas Herbert’s second round at Royal Birkdale has featured six birdies through 10 holes, putting him at the top of the leaderboard with a score of 6-under.
How to watch Open Championship: TV, live stream for Round 2
The 2026 Open Championship will be broadcast nationally on NBC, USA Network or NBC Sports Network throughout the four competitive rounds of the tournament. Live streaming coverage of the 2026 Open Championship will be available via Peacock or Fubo.
All times Eastern
Round 2 (July 17)
British Open tee times Friday, Round 2
Here is a list of notable groups on Friday. Click here for a full list of Friday tee times.
- 2:30 a.m. — Sami Valimaki, Shaun Norris, Jackson Suber
- 2:52 a.m. — Keegan Bradley, Corey Conners, Casey Jarvis
- 4:14 a.m. — Kristoffer Reitan, Patrick Reed, JT Poston
- 4:25 a.m. — Chris Gotterup, Sam Burns, Adam Scott
- 4:36 a.m. — Collin Morikawa, JJ Spaun, Nicolai Hojgaard
- 4:47 a.m. — Shane Lowry, Aaron Rai, Brooks Koepka
- 4:58 a.m. — Cameron Young, Wyndham Clark, Ludvig Aberg
- 5:09 a.m. — Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Matt Fitzpatrick
- 5:31 a.m. — Patrick Cantlay, Daniel Berger, Nico Echavarria
- 7:25 a.m. — Robert MacIntyre, Rickie Fowler, Alex Fitzpatrick
- 7:47 a.m. — Sungjae Im, Daniel Brown, Fifa Laopakdee (a)
- 9:31 a.m. — Ben Griffin, Hideki Matsuyama, Min Woo Lee
- 9:42 a.m. — Russell Henley, Justin Rose, Viktor Hovland
- 9:53 a.m. — Justin Thomas, Alex Noren, Jason Day
- 10:04 a.m. — Scottie Scheffler, Tyrrell Hatton, Bryson DeChambeau
- 10:15 a.m. — Jordan Spieth, Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm
- 10:26 a.m. — Brian Harman, Si Woo Kim, Nick Taylor
What time is the Open Championship today?
The British Open tees off live from Royal Birkdale Golf Club with coverage starting at 1:30 a.m. ET. The first tee time is set for 1:35 a.m. ET.
British Open odds: Favorites
Odds via BetMGM as of Wednesday.
- Scottie Scheffler (+500)
- Cameron Young (+1100)
- Robert MacIntyre (+1400)
- Bryson DeChambeau (+1600)
2026 Open Championship Predictions
Predictions made ahead of Open Championship Round 1.
Steve Gardner: Matt Fitzpatrick (+1600)
In addition to winning twice already this season on the PGA Tour, Fitzpatrick is coming in hot at the British Open. He has a trio of top-4 finishes in his last four events, including a tie for third this past week at the Scottish Open. He’ll have the backing of the home crowd at Royal Birkdale, which would be the perfect place to win his second major title.
Jon Hoefling: Chris Gotterup (+2800)
While it’s been an up and down year for Gotterup, he’s certainly on the up right now, recording a first-place finish at the John Deere Classic and an 11th-place finish last week at the Genesis Scottish Open. He’s playing his best golf of the year and has somewhat of a track record in big moments, finishing tied for tenth at the 2026 Players Championship and third at the 2025 Open Championship a year ago.
Kristie Ackert: Matt Fitzpatrick (+1600)
Fitzpatrick comes in with some momentum, finishing T3 at last week’s Scottish Open where he led the entire field in strokes-gained approach. A cold putter kept him from winning. He has three wins on tour and top-five finishes in three of his last four starts.
Scooby Axson: Tommy Fleetwood (+1600)
It’s time for one of the more consistent players on tour to break through and win his first major. If he can get his putter right, he has a chance to be in the final group on Sunday and hoist the Claret Jug.
Blake Schuster: Rory McIlroy (+900)
It’s easy to call this a boring pick, but I think I’m taking a risk with a guy who by his own admission is “so bad at golf”. May we all be as fortunate to play as poorly as the back-to-back Masters champ. McIlroy hasn’t won The Open since 2014, but he’s rarely out of it. The 37-year-old has six Top 10 finishes at The Open in his last 10 tries and is coming off a weekend at the Scottish Open where he roared back into contention on Sunday following a dreadful third round. If that happens again this weekend, he’ll have a raucous gallery on his side to help him finish the job.
Mark Giannotto: Jon Rahm (+2200)
Rahm looks to bounce back after missing the cut at the U.S. Open and he’s got three top-seven finishes in his past five starts at The Open Championship. The LIV Golf star has proven he can play with precision to win a major and he’s due for a breakthrough performance after struggling at times on golf’s biggest stages in recent seasons.
Open Championship weather forecast
The Accuweather forecast for every round at the 2026 Open Championship calls for mostly clear and dry conditions, beginning with Round 1 action on Thursday, July 16 and culminating with the final round at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England on Sunday, July 19.
Friday, July 17 (Round 2)
- Decreasing clouds and warm, high of 75 and low of 56. Wind predicted to the northwest at 10 mph with gusts of up to 23 mph.
British Open 2026 prize money payouts
The winner of the 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale is set to receive a record $3.2 million in prize money, tournament officials announced on Tuesday, July 14.
The final men’s golf major of the season, which begins with Round 1 tee times on Thursday, will feature a total purse of $17.75 million. That’s an increase of $500,000 from last year’s Open Championship, according to Golfweek. The payouts include $3.2 million to the golfer who captures the Claret Jug, up $100,000 from 2025.
Read here for the full list of payouts.
Who is Jackson Suber?
Jackson Suber is a 26-year-old from Tampa, Florida, who is the Open Championship leader in the clubhouse at 5-under par.
Suber went to the University of Mississippi and turned pro in 2022. He’s put together three top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour, but he has never won a tournament. Suber’s best finish in 2026 is fourth place, something he did at the RBC Canadian Open (June 11-14) and THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson (May 21-24).
The cut line after the completion of Round 1 is +1. All golfers with a score of +1 or better would make it to the weekend at Royal Birkdale. There’s a 29.6% chance the cut line remains at +1, according to the live model developed by Data Golf. The most likely projected cut line is +2 (41.8% chance). There’s also a 18.7% chance the cut line rises to +3, according to the website.
Open Championship cut rules: How many golfers make the weekend?
Only the top 70 golfers (and ties) on the leaderboard after Friday’s Round 2 make the cut to play the weekend at the 2026 Open Championship.