Key Points
- Ryan Fox won the 154th Open at Royal Birkdale on July 19, finishing 10-under 270.
- He birdied the 72nd hole to beat Cameron Young by one shot.
- His third-round 62 tied the lowest round in men's major championship history.
- Fox is New Zealand's third men's major champion, after Charles and Campbell.
Ryan Fox birdied the hardest hole at Royal Birkdale to win the 154th Open Championship on Sunday, closing at 10-under 270 to finish one shot clear of Cameron Young. It is the first major title for the 39-year-old New Zealander, who arrived on England's northwest coast ranked 56th in the world.
The final round
Fox began Sunday two shots behind 54-hole leader Sam Burns and shot 68, picking up birdies at the 14th, 16th and 18th, per the Golf Monthly final-round leaderboard. The closing birdie came on the course's most difficult hole. Young finished at 9-under, Burns at 8-under, and Scottie Scheffler and Tommy Fleetwood shared fourth at 7-under.
The Open carried a record purse of $17.75 million. Fox earned $3.2 million, Young $1.84 million, Burns $1.18 million, and Scheffler and Fleetwood $827,500 each, according to PGA Tour payout figures.
A 62 that changed the week
Fox was even par through 36 holes and in danger of playing the weekend as an afterthought. His Saturday third round of 8-under 62 moved him to 8-under and into contention outright — a score that ties the lowest round ever shot in a men's major championship.
Converting one into a trophy is the rarer feat. Fox became just the second player to shoot 62 in a major and go on to win it, per golf.com, joining Xander Schauffele at the 2024 PGA Championship.
New Zealand's third major
Fox is the third man from New Zealand to win a major, after Bob Charles at the 1963 Open and Michael Campbell at the 2005 U.S. Open. He had never finished better than a tie for 16th in a major, and his professional wins include the 2023 BMW PGA Championship.
Golf was not the obvious path. Fox is the son of Grant Fox, the All Blacks fly-half who kicked New Zealand to the inaugural 1987 Rugby World Cup title.
"It's unbelievable," Fox said afterward, as golf.com reported. "I still don't know what to think. My nerves are all over the place. I'm not quite sure how I hit that putt on 18. It is a dream come true."
The win closes the major season, roughly a month after Uristocrat previewed the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, and lands in a July that has already produced Spain's second World Cup title at MetLife Stadium. Britain's next set-piece follows within days: the Commonwealth Games open in Glasgow on July 23, cut to 10 sports and four venues.
Others covering this
Golf Monthly — "Ryan Fox Makes 72nd Hole Birdie To Win Maiden Major Title At The Open"
"Ryan Fox is the Champion Golfer of the Year after seeing off the challenges of Sam Burns and Cameron Young to win the Claret Jug"
Fox News — "Ryan Fox denies Cameron Young, Sam Burns at The Open Championship as American golf takes another hit"
"Ryan Fox birdied Royal Birkdale's hardest hole to capture the Claret Jug, capping the roughest major championship season for American golf in 12 years."
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