Sam Burns has fired himself into contention at The Open Championship after a second-round 62 at Royal Birkdale.
Burns carded an eight-under 62 on Friday in Southport, shortly after Lucas Herbert did the same to go top of the leaderboard.
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The American is now three shots behind the leader on five-under heading into the weekend at the final major of the 2026 season.
And Burns was full of praise for his compatriot Scottie Scheffler after his round, having been tasked with discussing the impact the world number one has made on him.
In light of their several practice rounds together and other exploits on the course, Burns was asked by the media at Royal Birkdale if Scheffler has influenced his game.
Burns joked: “Scottie as in Adam Scott? Yeah, we’ve definitely played a lot of golf together, and we’re obviously good friends.
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“But yeah, I would say for sure. Watching him, the way that he can control a golf ball, is insanely impressive. If I keep playing enough with him, it’ll be a kind of osmosis effect, I suppose.
“But I think it is nice to be able to pick his brain and see what he’s thinking on different holes on different shots with different winds.
“We played a couple times this week and got to ask him a few things about some holes, kind of what he’s trying to do.”
Scheffler was out looking to climb The Open leaderboard as well by the time Burns had completed his second round in Southport.
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The world number one is currently chasing his fifth Grand Slam title, having won The Masters twice, along with the PGA Championship and The Open once.
In contrast, Burns is still chasing his maiden Grand Slam win, although he came agonizingly close at this year’s US Open, where he was runner-up.
He has particularly struggled at The Open, and said of his record at the event: “Yeah, I would say I’m not a huge fan of links golf.
“I just haven’t played well on links golf. It’s not something I’m very familiar with. I get to do it maybe once a year. I don’t know what to say.”
When asked why it is working right now, he said: “I mean, I think like yesterday, I hit a really… not a bad shot on 17.
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“I hit a 3-iron in and was trying to hit it just left of the green and I get up there and it’s in the left side of lip and I have to hit it backwards. That kind of stuff is frustrating to me.
“You feel like you’ve hit a decent shot, and you get up there, and the next thing you know you’re hitting it backwards.
“That’s kind of been something I’ve tried to work on playing links golf is trying to be more accepting and still getting there.
“But yeah, I think the main thing is you just try to come out and execute to the best of your ability and learn to accept whatever the outcome is.”
Burns now has a fantastic chance to not only put an end to his disappointing links golf record, but to claim a first major win.
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He’s certainly grown into the tournament with rounds of 73 and 62, and may just benefit from the wind increasing for the later starters on Friday.
The American is certain to improve upon his best-ever finish at The Open, when he ended the 2024 edition in a tie for 31st at Royal Troon.
Read more: Golf fans slam coverage of The Open Championship after ‘insulting’ Sam Burns treatment
