Ryan Fox looked emotional as he sat on a sofa inside the squad at Royal Birkdale.
He just sank an 11-foot putt on the 18th hole, the toughest hole of the week, for birdie to win The Open.
Remarkable doesn’t cut it.
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Fox explained that his whole body was shaking as he prepared to putt on the 18th hole.
Back in New Zealand, fans watched intently throughout the night as Fox, the son of one of the country’s greatest All Blacks and grandson of a former New Zealand cricket captain, became the second New Zealander to lift the Claret Jug.
The 39-year-old, widely regarded as one of the most humble and unassuming players on the PGA Tour, said the huge shot left him shaking, but his cool and calm demeanor shone through.
As a testament to his ridiculous pace of play, it took just 22 seconds for Fox to rattle in the putt that won his playing partner Sam Burns his first major title after completing his round at Royal Birkdale.
The New Zealand golfer says he never dreamed he would win The Open.
Afterwards, a heartwarming moment unfolded backstage. Fox wiped away tears as he made a video call to his wife Anneke, children Isobel and Margot, and his father Grant to congratulate him on his incredible achievement.
“I’m not sure what to think right now,” he said. “I was talking to the kids last night and they told me to bring the trophy.
“I think this would be a really cool thing to take back for them!”
“I would wake up in the middle of the night and go home and watch this tournament,” he added. “Just to be able to play in that game and be the champion golfer of the year was unbelievable.”
Sports runs in his genes
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Fox also posted the lowest round in Open history with a third-round 62 at Royal Birkdale.
Fox was born in Tokoroa, Waikato, New Zealand’s North Island, and was a keen rugby union and cricket player, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather.
Sports ran in the family. His grandfather, Merv Wallace, played in 13 Tests for New Zealand, captained the team on two occasions, and was considered one of the best Kiwi batsmen of his time, scoring 439 runs in his Test career.
His father Grant was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2014 and is one of the greatest goal kickers to ever grace the game.
Grant Fox (pictured left with George Bridge) enjoyed a decorated career with the All Blacks before entering coaching.
The fly-half played club rugby for Auckland and went on to make 46 appearances for the All Blacks, scoring 645 points during his international career.
Grant helped New Zealand win their first Rugby World Cup in 1987 and had a big performance during New Zealand’s 2-1 series win over the British and Irish Lions in 1993.
“My family has a great history,” Fox said Sunday afternoon.
Fox said his family has a “great history” in sports, but he never felt pressured to follow in his father or grandfather’s footsteps.
“Another great thing is that there was no pressure to follow in their footsteps. I was lucky enough to be able to carve my own path there and have the support of my grandfather, mum and dad every step of the way.
“I don’t know if this surpasses their achievements, but it’s definitely up there. Now there’s no pressure on our kids moving forward!”
Fox is pursuing a career in golf.
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Fox attended the University of Auckland and studied psychology before pursuing a career in golf.
After completing his high school studies, Fox decided to pursue a career in golf and reduced his handicap to 2 by the age of 16.
His parents advised him to continue his studies and he enrolled at the University of Auckland to begin a Bachelor of Laws degree before switching to a psychology major.
But golf was his true love. He turned professional in 2012 at the age of 25 and has since won three times on the Australian PGA Tour.
Fox also competed on the Hotel Planner Tour before earning her DP World Tour card in 2016. He earned provisional membership on the PGA Tour for 2023 after winning his first title on the DP World Tour in 2019, claiming his first event at the ISPS Handa World Super 6 Perth.
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Fox turned professional in 2012 and has won three times on the Australian PGA Tour.
Including The Open, Fox now has five wins on the DP World Tour, including the 2023 BMW PGA Championship and the 2022 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, and earned his first PGA Tour title at last year’s ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic before winning the RBC Canadian Open.
But he never dreamed that he would win a major championship.
“I told the team at dinner last night that if you had told me about my career up until yesterday when I turned pro, I would have jumped right in,” Fox said.
“To be honest, I don’t know what to think right now. You dream of becoming a major champion.”
‘I wanted to do something special for Warnie’
The New Zealand golfer was ‘good friends’ with Australian cricket legend Shane Warne.
In 2022, Fox dedicated his victory in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship to his late friend Shane Warne, who died in March that year.
Fox and the low-handicap Australian spin bowling legend have joined forces in the team portion of the event in Scotland five times previously, last teeing it up together in the 2021 event.
“The only person I can really think of right now is Warney,” Fox said after his 2022 win. “It definitely felt like he was with me the whole time.
“Winning this event means a lot. We were good mates and it’s a shame he’s not here. I wanted to do something special for Warnie and I’m very proud to have been able to achieve that.”
Fourth New Zealander to win a major title
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The 39-year-old is only the fourth New Zealand golfer to win a major championship.
On Sunday, Fox became the fourth player from New Zealand to win a major championship.
Sir Bob Charles was the first. He won The Open at Royal Lytham and St Annes in 1963, while Michael Campbell won the US Open in 2005.
Lydia Ko also boasts three major titles, the most recent being the 2024 Women’s Open.
“It’s really amazing to be able to join them,” Fox said. “Having my own little history. I don’t know if I ever thought that was possible, but here we are now.”
A man who ‘never changed’
Fox has been regarded as one of the most humble players in sport and has been recognized for consistently giving back to New Zealand golf.
Fox has earned praise from many in the golf world for his attitude toward the sport and life, and for never forgetting his roots.
Prior to his Open win, PGA Tour of Australasia general manager Nick Dastey praised Fox for “continuing to give back to Australian and New Zealand golf”.
“The best thing I can say about Ryan is he hasn’t changed from the moment he first turned pro, and this isn’t going to change him,” Dastey told DP World Tour.
“You know, he’s a fantastic human being. He’s an example of what a professional golfer should be, and that’s who we want as a tour member.”
What’s next?
The next PGA Tour event is the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities, Minnesota, starting Thursday, which will air first on Sky Sports+ before switching to Sky Sports Golf at 7pm.
The 3M Open is part of Sky Sports’ live golf triple-header, which also features the ISPS Handa Senior Open and ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open live. The women’s major season concludes with the AIG Women’s Open, which runs from July 30 to August 2 and is also broadcast live on Sky Sports Golf. Access or stream Sky Sports with no contract.
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