New Zealander Ryan Fox secured the Claret Jug at The Open Championship in a dramatic finish at Royal Birkdale. After struggling with bogeys on the 9th and 11th holes, Fox birdied three of his final holes to get back into contention. Tied with Cam Young heading into the 18th, Fox needed a birdie to win outright. He successfully drained an 11-foot putt on the notoriously difficult 18th, which had only yielded four birdies all day, to clinch his first major championship.
Fox's victory capped a remarkable week where he had never before finished higher than T16 in a major. His win also came after a strong Saturday performance where he shot a 62, matching a major championship record that had already been achieved earlier in the week by Lucas Herbert and Sam Burns. This remarkable score propelled him up the leaderboard, placing him in the final group for Sunday's play.
Following his win, Fox expressed his amazement, stating, "It’s surreal. Champion golfer of the year has a good ring to it." He highlighted the importance of his mental approach, focusing on "see a shot, hit a shot" to manage his nerves. He emphasized how executing two perfect shots on the 18th hole set up his winning putt, which, despite shaky hands, found the bottom of the cup, making him only the third man from New Zealand to win a major championship.
