Fox's 62 matches major record, the third at this week's Open - ESPN

SOUTHPORT, England — For the third time in two days, Royal Birkdale Golf Club surrendered an 8-under 62 on Saturday, as New Zealand's Ryan Fox became the eighth golfer to match the major championship scoring record of 62 in the third round of the Open Championship.

Fox, a 19-time winner around the world, had a chance for a 61 but left his 47½-foot birdie putt on the 18th a few feet short of the hole.

On Friday, Australia's Lucas Herbert and American Sam Burns each posted 62s in similarly benign conditions with little to no wind on the dry and firm course.

Fox, who started the round at even par, joined Herbert as the co-leader at 8 under.

«I think it's just the good weather conditions,» Fox said. «The course is brilliant. It's obviously very firm and fast. In the mornings, the greens are a little bit softer. Obviously, we had pretty much no wind until the last couple of holes today.

»You feel like you can shoot a score in the morning and the greens are perfect, that if you do roll it well, you feel like you hole everything. That's kind of the day I had today, and I'm sure the other guys will say the same from yesterday."

Herbert will tee off in the third round with Jackson Suber at 10:50 a.m. ET on Saturday.

Fox, 39, had birdies on four of his first six holes, making a 9½-foot putt on No. 2 and an 8½-footer on No. 3.

After saving par with a 7-foot putt on No. 4, Fox missed the green with his approach on the par-4 fifth but chipped to seven inches for another birdie. Then he sank a 54½-footer for birdie on the sixth to move to 4-under.

Fox made another birdie on the par-4 eighth and made the turn at 5-under 29.

The two-time PGA Tour winner opened the back nine with a 7½-foot birdie on the 10th. His only bogey of the round