Ryan Fox won The Open Championship, becoming only the third man from New Zealand to secure a title in a major championship. By winning the Claret Jug, Fox admitted that the victory was something he 'would have been ready to kill for' when he was just fighting for a professional golfer's spot.
This New Zealander athlete is the son of former All Black player Grant Fox, who participated in the first Rugby World Cup in 1987. Furthermore, his maternal grandmother, Merv Wallace, served as captain and coach of the New Zealand national cricket team.
Fox noted that perhaps he is not the most outstanding athlete in his family, but his achievement is on par with the successes of his relatives. After his unexpected breakthrough at Royal Birkdale, the 39-year-old Fox stated that his children will no longer face such pressure. Prior to this week, he had never made it into the top 10 of major tournaments, yet he defied the general trend in golf by being a late bloomer.
Fox recounted starting his career on the DP World Tour at age 30, then becoming a rookie on the PGA Tour at 37, and now a Major champion at 39. He emphasized that one should not follow the current trend. He recalled that if offered such an opportunity yesterday, when he was just becoming a professional, he would have accepted immediately, but now he would probably 'kill people for it'.
Living in a country where rugby dominates, Fox was long in the shadow of his father. However, he thanks his father for the period of working as a buggy driver, which became a turning point in his career. During his second year on the Aussie Tour, he was close to giving up because he wasn't enjoying the game. After performing poorly at the Aussie PGA, his father approached him as a buggy driver and asked, 'Why are you playing this game?' Fox replied that it should bring pleasure, but it wasn't then. His father suggested they just go out and try to have fun, after which Fox finished fifth that week, allowing him to keep his card for another year. This relieved the pressure for the rest of the season, and the following year he started playing very well, being on the verge of quitting the sport.
Fox continues the tradition of Bob Charles, who won The Open in 1964, and Michael Campbell, who won the US Open in 2005, as the only New Zealander man to win a Major. New Zealand also has a star in women's golf—Lydia Ko, who won three Majors at the age of 29. Fox believes that New Zealand 'slightly exceeds its capabilities' in this sport and that this will be a huge event for golf in New Zealand.
Initially, Fox's only goal was simply to get a chance to play in the British Championship. Now, he will return the Claret Jug to the homeland of the sport in St Andrews next year and is guaranteed a place in The Open Championship for at least 16 years. Previously, he often woke up in the middle of the night to watch this tournament at home, and for him, it was always just an opportunity to participate. Now, becoming The Open Champion or Player of the Year is something incredible, surreal, and crazy, and he admits he doesn't have enough words to explain it.
American golfer Bryson DeChambeau stated that the two-stroke penalty at the British Open Championship 'energizes' him. This incident occurred on the third day of the 154th golf championship at Royal Birkdale Golf Club, where Ryan Fox became the third player in two days to achieve a record score of 62 in a major tournament, allowing him to contend for the lead on Saturday.
DeChambeau believed he was only one stroke away from the lead after completing the second round with birdie-birdie scores. However, on Friday evening, as dark clouds gathered over the Southport coast, the American was issued a two-stroke penalty for 'inadvertently improving' his ball's position while preparing for the second shot on the fifth hole. It was observed that DeChambeau was tamping down the long grass while preparing for a practice swing.
The two-time US Open champion returned to the scene along with an official rules representative after the round concluded. According to Sky Sports, he even threatened to withdraw from the tournament. Nevertheless, DeChambeau returned for the weekend, qualifying for a major tournament for the first time this year. He posted on social media: 'Obviously disappointed with this decision. I disagree with it, but what can you do. It energizes me. Onwards to the weekend. Let's do this.'
Mark Darbon, Chief Executive Officer of the R&A tournament organizers, noted that the decision was 'very clear from a rules perspective.' Darbon declined to confirm whether DeChambeau had been asked to leave the last two rounds. He told the BBC: 'One could say there was some emotional tension around this, and we will keep some aspects of this discussion private.' He added: 'I sympathize with this. Bryson played a great round of golf, he is in the fight in a major championship, he wants to win the original major golf tournament. We focused on the rules and conducting a fair assessment.'
Instead of playing in the final group alongside leader Lucas Herbert, DeChambeau will start his round in the third-to-last group, three strokes behind the leader, and will be playing with fellow American Sam Burns. Both Herbert and Burns achieved the historic low round score of 62 in a major championship on Friday. New Zealander Fox followed their example, joining Herbert at the top of the leaderboard with eight under par. Prior to yesterday, there were five rounds of 62 in major tournament history, and now there are eight, achieved by seven different players.
Fox attributed the surge in 62 scores to good weather and excellent course conditions, noting that the greens might be slightly softer in the morning. After six birdies in the first ten holes, Fox's attempt at a historic 61 was marred by a bogey on the 13th hole. He recovered with three birdies in the final five holes to enter the contention before Sunday's final round. The tournament promises to be spectacular on the northwest coast of England, where the biggest golf stars have gathered. Cameron Young, fourth in the world rankings, starts his third round six under par. World number one and defending champion Scottie Scheffler is two strokes behind but also in the race, four under par, alongside home favorite Tommy Fleetwood and two-time major winner Jon Rahm. Rory McIlroy's hopes of moving up the leaderboard seem diminished, as he trailed by one stroke after eight holes to reach even par for the tournament. However, a monumental drive and chip that brought the eagle on the par-four ninth hole brought the Masters champion back within six strokes of the leader at timeout.
