Lucas Herbert has seized control of The Open at Royal Birkdale, finishing at eight under par to lead the field outright as the tournament heads toward its conclusion. Herbert sits two clear of the chasing pack, and the Australian's composure over the closing stretch could be the difference between a maiden major and heartbreak on the Merseyside links.

Jackson Suber and Cameron Young share second place at six under, with Young in particular making the kind of late charge that had the leaderboard reshuffling by the hour. Sam Burns and Francesco Molinari are a shot further back at five under, Molinari still with one hole remaining and every reason to push. Matt Wallace, Bud Cauley and Thomas Detry round out the top group at four under, making this one of the tightest major finishes in recent memory.

There is no South African name in the top eight, which will sting given the depth of local talent that has circled the majors in recent seasons. Thomas Detry — who carries the Belgian flag but has strong ties to the European Tour scene familiar to Sunshine Tour followers — is the closest international link at the business end of the draw. For the full picture of where golf stands heading into the back half of the year, the 3M Open is next on the PGA Tour schedule, with the world ranking implications from Royal Birkdale still being calculated.

First reported by Golf Monthly.