Sam Burns Leads 154th Open by Two Shots on July 18

Sam Burns holds a two-stroke lead heading into the final round of the 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, putting him 18 holes away from his first major title. The American shot a 5-under 65 on Saturday, July 18, to reach 10-under par for the tournament, capitalizing on a record-tying 62 he posted a day earlier.

Burns leads New Zealand's Ryan Fox and South Korea's Si Woo Kim, who are tied for second at 8-under par. Fox surged into contention by matching the lowest round in major championship history with a 62 of his own earlier on Saturday, becoming the third player this week to achieve the feat after Burns and Friday's second-round leader, Lucas Herbert of Australia.

The 29-year-old Burns arrived in England under unexpected circumstances. His wife, Caroline, gave birth to their second child, a daughter named Belle, on July 3. With the baby arriving early, Burns initially did not expect to compete but decided to travel after his wife encouraged him. He acknowledged the tournament was far from his mind just days ago.

Burns has been a consistent contender in majors this season, finishing as runner-up at the U.S. Open last month and tying for second at the Masters in April....