Sam Burns takes the lead entering Sunday’s final round at Royal Birkdale in the 2026 Open Championship. According to reports from The Athletic and Yahoo Sports, Burns posts a 65 on Saturday, which is described as the second-best round of the day and the lowest score made by any player who tees off in the afternoon. That performance increases his position atop the leaderboard heading into Sunday. Yahoo Sports reports that Burns carries a two-shot lead going into the final round, indicating that his Saturday round puts him ahead of the chasing pack as the tournament reaches its concluding stage. The outlets’ accounts align on the key elements of Burns’ Saturday scoring and his advantage going into Sunday, with both framing his position as the result of that 65 and his ability to separate himself from other contenders during the Saturday afternoon play window.