Wily Fox Crowned 'Champion Golfer of the Year'

Southport, England: New Zealander Ryan Fox has not followed a conventional path in professional golf. It was not until he was 25 that he relinquished his amateur status. He was a rookie pro on the DP World Tour at 30 and a rookie on the PGA Tour at 37. Now, at the grand old age of 39, he’s a Major champion.

“I’m definitely not following the trend at the moment. But if I can keep getting better a little bit every year, I’ll be pretty happy,” said the New Zealander, clutching the Claret Jug following his victory in the 154th Open Championship.

“It’s something you dream of. I used to get up in the middle of the night to watch this tournament back home. To be the Champion Golfer of the Year, it's unbelievable, surreal, crazy. I don't have enough words in my vocabulary to explain it,” added Fox, who holed a 12-foot birdie putt on the final green at Royal Birkdale to claim a one-stroke win from American Cameron Young.

With a closing two-under 68, he posted a four-day aggregate of 10-under 270 over the fabled Lancashire links.

In so doing he has become just his country’s fourth Major winner, following in the footsteps of Sir Bob Charles, who triumphed at nearby Royal Lytham & St Annes in 1963, Michael Campbell, winner of the US Open in 2005, and Dame Lydia Ko, a three-time LPGA Tour Major champion.

“To have my own little piece of history, I don’t know if it’s something I ever thought was possible. But we’re here now. I think this will be huge for New Zealand golf,” said Fox, who represented his country in the first three editions of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC), without covering himself in glory.

With rounds of 77 and 79 he missed the cut in the inaugural AAC at China’s Mission Hills in 2009. The following year he was tied for 34th at Kasumigaseki Country Club in Japan improving to joint 17th in the championship’s third iteration at Singapore Island Country Club in 2011.

His three-under total of 285 there was 12 shots behind fourth-placed Australian Cameron Smith and 15 strokes worse off than Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, the winner.

Now, Fox has joined Smith (Open Championship 2023) and Matsuyama (Masters Tournament 2022) as the third AAC alumni to win a men’s Major.

“Congratulations to Ryan. His win makes all New Zealanders proud,” said fellow-Kiwi Philip Hassall, Chairman of the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation.

Victory at The Open was not even a consideration for Fox at the half-way stage of the championship when he found himself in a share of 52nd place.

However, an eight-under 62 on Saturday – equalling the best ever single round score in men’s Major - saw him soar into contention before completing the turnaround on Sunday.

His victory marks the largest 36-hole comeback in men’s major history by position.