Ryan Fox says his brain works fast — that’s why he’s one of the quickest on the PGA Tour in terms of pace of play — but on Sunday, as he was traversing Royal Birkdale, you could see him visibly taking deep breaths.
“There was a lot of deep breaths walking down some fairways just trying to compose myself.”
The 39-year-old was trying to keep himself in the right headspace as he vied for the first major title of his career at the 154th Open Championship.
Spoiler alert: it worked.
The 2026 Champion Golfer of the Year still felt the nerves, even if he ended up winning the Claret Jug in the end. He said he couldn’t feel his hands as he putted for the win.
“I didn’t feel anything for the putt; everything was shaking that much,” Fox said. “I was just happy to hit it somewhat near the hole, and to see it go in was incredible.”
Fox’s 8-under 62 on Saturday — tied for the major championship scoring record — was the key to victory this week, but a resilient 2-under 68 on Sunday sealed the win over runner-up Cameron Young (9 under) and third place finisher Sam Burns (8 under).
It wasn’t all pretty. Fox had three bogeys between Nos. 9 and 15 that nearly took him out of contention, but he finished birdie-par-birdie as his competitors faltered down the stretch.
“I did say to my caddie, Dean [Smith], on the tee that we were going to take it on, that I was going to try to win the tournament, and I’d live with the consequences if I stuffed it up.”
It was the riskier approach to Birkdale, and it paid off for the third men’s major champion from New Zealand.
“I think we’ve got four major champions from New Zealand now: [2005 U.S. Open champion] Michael Campbell, Lydia Ko, a multi-major champion, and [1963 Open champion] Sir Bob [Charles], so to be able to join them is amazing.”
Fox was raised in a sporting family. His father, Grant, played for the All Blacks and won the Rugby World Cup. His maternal grandfather, Merv Wallace, played cricket and was the captain of the New Zealand national team.
Fox played “almost every sport growing up” and didn’t play golf, competitively, until he was 18. He didn’t turn pro until he was 25.
A late bloomer, Fox didn’t initially have high expectations. In fact, in his second year on the Aussie tour, he nearly retired. But his dad, caddying for him at a late season event, asked him, ‘Why do you play this game?’ Fox responded, ‘Well, it’s supposed to be fun.’ His dad replied, ‘Well, let’s just go out this week and try to have some fun.’
Fox did enough to keep his card that week, taking the pressure off the rest of the season, and his game got better from there.
Now he has three wins on Tour in the past two years.
He’s also a unicorn.
In a sport that laments about slow pace of play on a weekly basis, it’s almost uncanny how fast Fox plays.
“I was always that way as a kid,” Fox said. “I see things fast. I was the same when I was playing cricket growing up... It’s not that difficult to pick a shot and pick a club. I get in there, and it all happens quick... The less time I have to think about it, the less bad stuff can creep in there.”
It’s something even world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who finished T-4 in Southport, commented on earlier this year — although Fox wasn’t sure if it was a compliment or a burn.
“We played at [the WM] Phoenix [Open], and we’re in a three-ball on Saturday. We walk off the ninth tee, and he goes, ‘Foxy, it doesn’t even feel like you’re in the group. It just feels like we’re playing in a two-ball, you hit it so fast.’”
It’s a strategy Fox has used pretty much his whole golf career, and it paid off on Sunday.
It was a fast end to a men’s major season that saw Rory McIlroy repeat at the Masters, Aaron Rai win his first major at the PGA, Wyndham Clark dominate the U.S. Open and Ryan Fox show you are capable of more than you can imagine.
“I don’t know if it’s something I’ve dreamed of. I don’t know if it’s something I ever thought was possible, but we’re here now.”
