Sawt Falasteen - Herbert hopes British Open 62 woke Australian kids in the night

The world number 97 came agonisingly close to an outright record as he missed a short putt for par at the last which would have carded the first ever 61 at a major.

However, an eight-under par round was still enough to fire Herbert to a one-shot lead at the top of the leaderboard at the halfway stage at Royal Birkdale.

"One of my earliest golf memories was my dad waking me up to watch Chad Campbell in the first round in the 2009 Masters because it looked like he had a really good chance to shoot 62 and break the record at that time," Herbert told reporters.

"I thought about it, if one kid gets woken up by their parents to watch me finish this round because that's the record being broken, that would be so cool, and it would tickle me pink.

"I hope it happened. I hope some kid's disappointed that I shot 62 and didn't hole that putt on the last."

Less than an hour after Herbert equalled the course record at Birkdale, American Sam Burns also carded a 62 with an incredible end to his round.

They join five previous instances of a major round of 62.

"I just saw the list before of guys who have shot 62, and it sounds like we just added another one to it out there with Sam as well," added Herbert.

"That's a really cool list to be a part of. Even that whole back nine today, it was not lost on me the amount of history in major championships and the opportunity I had to obviously break the record, but then to tie it as well is still something I'm really proud of."

Herbert has played for the last two years on the breakaway LIV Golf tour, which has hampered his world ranking and chances to play at the majors.

But he sensed something special was in the offing from as early as the third hole after starting with three consecutive birdies.

"I'm too much of an optimist, and I thought it when I hit it to about five feet on the third hole. I'm a golf nerd anyway, so I know all the numbers, all the records, everything like that," he said when asked when he thought at shot at history was on.

"I don't play a schedule that is four majors a year consistently anyway, so the opportunities I do get to play majors, and you get an opportunity to get off to a hot start on a golf course that's a par 70.

"So it was a bit of fun for the rest of the day just trying to acknowledge the fact that there was a chance but just to try to continue to go about what I was doing normally and naturally as best I could."

Herbert, who has never finished in the top 10 of a major, will tee off in the final group on Saturday alongside two-time US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau.

T.Ibrahim--SF-PST