LIV Golf star Lucas Herbert is the surprising new betting favourite at The Open after coming from nowhere to shoot the joint-lowest score in major championship history.

The Australian flew up the leaderboard at Royal Birkdale on Friday with a barely-believable eight-under-par 62, in turn becoming the sixth man to achieve the feat in the history of the game.

Incredibly, USA Ryder Cup star Sam Burns then matched the feat shortly after - but he still sits three shots back on the overall leaderboard having started the day at three-over-par.

Herbert, whose best-ever major championship finish is 13th at the 2022 PGA Championship, is now joint-betting favourite to win The Open, alongside world No 1 Scottie Scheffler.

Herbert currently leads the rest of the field by two clear shots, having headed back to the clubhouse at -8, with his nearest challenger being little-known American Jackson Suber.

The Aussie golf star had an incredible opportunity to be the first man in history to shoot 61 in a major championship, but he fluffed his lines and missed a short putt on the 18th green.

Speaking to NBC after his round had concluded, he said: 'I sort of thought it was a left-side putt, it jagged on me a little early, it was nowhere near the worst putt I hit today.   

'The nerves were going but I thought I hit it well. It's a tough one. That was probably the best chance I'll have to shoot 61.'

When asked how he felt coming down the stretch with history on the line, he - perhaps surprisingly - admitted he was well aware of the circumstances he was facing.

'I'm a golf geek so I knew the numbers, knew what people had shot,' he said. 'It was hard to focus. It was kind of funny, I was walking up 18 saying I might as well throw my phone in the lake because this is going to be blown up for the next three days.

'I've got my family here this week, my wife and her parents. We'll just go home and chill out and try and take our minds off it, not get too caught up in this. It's a really cool feeling.' 

The first man ever to shoot a 62 in a major was South African Branden Grace in the 2017 Open Championship - also at Royal Birkdale.

That was followed up by two Americans in 2023 at the Los Angeles Country Club - Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele - before the latter then achieved it for a second time a year later on his way to winning at Valhalla.

Shane Lowry also matched him that week in May 2024, before Herbert and Burns became the sixth and seventh to achieve it on Friday.