Sam Burns moves into pole position to win first Major at The Open

Sam Burns is in pole position to win his first Major Championship after emerging from the chasing pack to take a two-shot lead into the final round at The 154th Open.

The American entered the third round three shots adrift of 36-hole leader Lucas Herbert but produced an assured 65 to reach ten under at Royal Birkdale.

After a fast start helped him to turn in 31, the World Number 18 made birdies at each of the par fives on the back nine to put him on track to become the fourth consecutive player from the United States, and fifth in the last six years, to win the Claret Jug.

Ryan Fox earlier surged into contention with the third 62 in two days - a feat achieved by Herbert and Burns on Friday - to get to eight under, where he was joined by Si Woo Kim after a 67 by the South Korean.

American Ryan Gerard, who is competing in his Open debut, is at seven under alongside Herbert of Australia, with Ludvig Åberg, Tommy Fleetwood, Bryson DeChambeau and defending champion Scottie Scheffler among 18 players within six shots of the lead.

Burns has knocked on the door before at golf's marquee championships, most recently at the U.S. Open last month when he finished one shot shy of countryman Wyndham Clark at Shinnecock Hills.

The 29-year-old was unsure he'd be able to compete at the final Major of the year but made the trip to England following the birth of his second child, Belle, earlier this month.

His 36-hole score of 127 across days two and three over the Southport links is the lowest total across any two rounds in men's Major Championship history.

Carrying across the momentum from his back-nine 30 on day two, he mixed accurate approach play with a hot putter to birdie the second and fourth.

A sublime tee shot at the seventh set up another birdie and he added another at the eighth, before an errant tee shot at the ninth resulted in his sole bogey of the day.

After a run of four consecutive pars to start the back nine, Burns holed from 30 feet to complete an up and down before a shot-of-the-day contender set up a sixth birdie of the round at the 17th.

"I think coming into the day, I was just trying to focus on executing and give myself as many looks as possible, and we did a good job of that," said Burns, whose last worldwide win came at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in March 2023.

"After finishing bogey, bogey, bogey on Thursday, I was pretty upset. That's an understatement.

"Came out Friday and had nothing to lose. I honestly feel like I played a pretty good round of golf for 15 holes on Thursday, and then just a really sloppy finish the last three. I feel like my game was in a good place.

"The game plan for tomorrow will be just try to go out there and give myself as many looks as possible on the greens and see what happens."

For Fox and Kim, who could be Presidents Cup teammates later this year, a win would also mark a huge career breakthrough.

With the course still playing firm and fast, albeit with strengthening winds for the later starters, Gerard shot a 69 while overnight leader Herbert made back-to-back bogeys at the 15th and 16th in a 71.

Åberg recovered from bogeying the opening hole to card a 67 to get to six under, with home hero Fleetwood also dreaming of a first Major triumph despite the dissapointment of bogeying two of his final four holes in a 69 to head into the final round at five under.

DeChambeau, who was assessed a two-shot penalty on Friday, is the only player in the top ten on the leaderboard to have won a Major and the two-time U.S. Open champion is four back after a 69, with Scheffler at four under after a 70.