Who is Lucas Herbert? Meet the Australian LIV Golf star leading the 2026 Open Championship

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A familiar name to dedicated golf fans suddenly found himself in front of a much larger audience Friday morning.Lucas Herbert charged to the top of the 2026 Open Championship leaderboard with a spectacular start to his second round at Royal Birkdale. The Australian moved to 8-under for the tournament through 14 holes, giving him a two-stroke advantage over first-round leader Jackson Suber. Herbert began the day at even par after shooting a 70 on Thursday. It did not take him long to erase that deficit.

The 30-year-old birdied each of his first three holes before adding birdies at Nos. 5, 7 and 9. His 25-foot birdie putt from off the green at the ninth gave him a front-nine score of 28. That matched the lowest nine-hole score in Open Championship history, tying the record Denis Durnian set at Royal Birkdale in 1983.

Herbert added birdies at Nos. 11 and 12 to reach 8-under for his round and the championship. At the time, he was eight shots under par without a bogey Friday.

Here is everything to know about the golfer making a surprise run at the Claret Jug.

Who is Lucas Herbert?

Herbert is a 30-year-old professional golfer from Bendigo, Victoria, Australia. He turned professional in 2015 after representing Australia at the 2014 Eisenhower Trophy. Herbert spent the early portion of his career competing primarily on the PGA Tour of Australasia before establishing himself on the European Tour, now known as the DP World Tour.

The 6-2 Australian has seven professional victories across multiple tours. He joined LIV Golf in 2024 and currently plays for Ripper GC, the all-Australian team captained by former Open champion Cameron Smith. Herbert entered the Open ranked No. 97 in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Lucas Herbert goes out in 28 (-6), equalling the record for the lowest nine-hole score at The Open. pic.twitter.com/KgJMzLPF9Q

— The Open (@TheOpen) July 17, 2026

How many tournaments has Lucas Herbert won?

Herbert has won seven professional tournaments, including events on the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, Asian Tour, PGA Tour of Australasia and LIV Golf. His first significant international victory came at the 2020 Dubai Desert Classic. Herbert defeated Christiaan Bezuidenhout in a playoff after both players finished at 9-under.

He added another DP World Tour title at the 2021 Irish Open, going wire to wire and winning by three strokes. Herbert then earned his first PGA Tour victory at the 2021 Butterfield Bermuda Championship, finishing one shot ahead of Patrick Reed and Danny Lee. Herbert’s third DP World Tour victory came at the 2023 ISPS Handa Championship in Japan, where he defeated Aaron Cockerill in another playoff.

He won the 2024 New South Wales Open and the 2025 International Series Japan before earning his first individual LIV Golf title in May 2026.

When did Lucas Herbert join LIV Golf?

Herbert joined LIV Golf before the 2024 season, becoming a member of Smith’s Ripper GC team alongside Marc Leishman and Matt Jones. He helped Ripper GC win the team competition at LIV Golf Adelaide in 2024, shooting 13-under across three rounds. The team also won in Singapore and later captured the 2024 LIV Golf Team Championship.

Herbert broke through individually at LIV Golf Virginia in May 2026. Despite dealing with flu symptoms and back discomfort early in the week, he opened with rounds of 64 and 63 before completing a wire-to-wire, four-stroke victory at 24-under. The performance also helped Herbert earn a spot in the 2026 U.S. Open.

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What is Lucas Herbert’s best finish at the Open Championship?

Herbert’s best previous finish at the Open Championship was a tie for 15th in 2022 at St. Andrews. He made his Open debut in 2018 and finished tied for 51st at Carnoustie. He missed the cut in 2021, 2023 and 2025. Herbert’s best finish in any major remains a tie for 13th at the 2022 PGA Championship. He also tied for 31st at the 2020 U.S. Open.

He qualified for the 2026 Open through the Open Qualifying Series after his performance at the New Zealand Open. Herbert had not finished a competitive tournament since LIV Golf Andalucía in early June. He played in the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills later that month but missed the cut after rounds of 74 and 72.

That lack of recent major success made his Friday charge even more surprising. After beginning the second round eight strokes behind Suber, Herbert needed only 12 holes to take control of the leaderboard. His record-tying front nine transformed him from an overlooked contender into the player everyone at Royal Birkdale was chasing.