Overview
- Lucas Herbert holds the 36‑hole lead at 8‑under after an 8‑under 62 that tied the lowest round in major history and gave him a two‑shot cushion at the halfway mark.
- Sam Burns and Ryan Fox also carded 62s, producing rare low rounds that compressed the leaderboard and made the title race highly volatile going into Moving Day.
- R&A officials assessed Bryson DeChambeau a two‑stroke penalty for trampling long grass near his ball on the par‑4 fifth, ruling he had inadvertently improved the area of his intended backswing and changing his posted 66 to a 68.
- DeChambeau protested the decision, briefly considered withdrawing according to reports, then posted that he will continue and said the ruling ‘fires me up,’ while his agent gave an uncertain early response about Saturday play.
- R&A chief executive Mark Darbon and rules referees defended the call, and the incident has sharpened scrutiny of how officials apply rules that penalize even accidental actions, a development that could affect player behavior and officiating debate through the weekend.