Ryan Fox Rallies to Capture His First Major at The Open
A Sunday charge at Royal Birkdale — capped by a birdie on the 72nd hole — earns the New Zealander his first Claret Jug.
Ryan Fox has his first major. The New Zealander closed out The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale on Sunday with a birdie on the 72nd hole, finishing at 10-under-par 270 to lift the Claret Jug for the first time in his career.
The win came the hard way — with a Sunday charge. Fox lit the fuse a day earlier, matching the tournament record with a third-round 62, eight under par, to launch himself up the board. Then he held on through a nervy final round, answering two bogeys on the back nine with four birdies to pull clear when it counted.
“This is unbelievable, to be honest — I don’t really know what to think at the moment,” Fox said, the Claret Jug finally in hand. “My nerves were all over the place. I’m not quite sure how I hit that putt on 18. It’s a dream come true.”
He got it done with a freshly built bag — a new Srixon driver and fairway wood, a full run of ZXi irons, Cleveland RTZ wedges, and a Z-STAR XV ball — a quiet reminder that at every level, gear that actually fits the player is part of the equation.
Watching a major play out on a classic links has a way of stirring the itch to tee it up. The good news: you don’t need a passport. Our aboutGolf bays put championship courses at your feet year-round, so you can go chase your own back-nine heroics any day of the week — snow or shine.