How a heart-to-heart with rugby legend father Grant Fox saved the British Open champion’s career
Updated ,first published
South Port: Ryan Fox’s victory against the odds at Royal Birkdale on Sunday, becoming the first New Zealander to win the British Open in 63 years, was made all the more remarkable by the conversation he had with his famous father 13 years ago when he was on the verge of stepping away from golf.
The year was 2013 and Fox was in his second season touring Australasia. He wasn’t winning, he wasn’t having fun, and he definitely wasn’t making much money.
Wondering whether professional golf was really for him, he arrived at the Australian Masters at Royal Melbourne after “badly” missing the cut at the Australian PGA.
His father, New Zealand rugby royalty Grant Fox, who won the first Rugby World Cup in 1987, was on the bag as a caddy and asked him a simple question.
Why are you playing?
“I said it was supposed to be fun. But it wasn’t much fun at the time,” Fox recalled. “He says, ‘Let’s go out this week and try to have some fun.’
“I think I finished fifth that week and that was enough to keep my card for the year. “It took the pressure off the rest of the year and I came back the following year and played really well.
“I was very close to giving up at that point.”
With a nerveless 12-foot birdie putt on the 18th green in front of a packed crowd on Sunday, Fox shook off the tag of being Grant Fox’s son by finally winning the British Open.
After a magnificent score of 62 in the third round, the 39-year-old player started the day in the final group and finished the match with a score of 2-under 68, one shot ahead of American Cam Young, at 10-under.
Australia’s great hope Lucas Herbert, after briefly threatening, shot a 71-over-par 71 to finish in a six-over tie for sixth, one shot ahead of Adam Scott.
Speaking to reporters later, Herbert watched on a nearby television as Fox’s winning shot disappeared into the cup.
“I think my lungs are cut off now,” Herbert joked.
“It is. It was a great experience. I can’t be too upset. There are so many positives to take away. This is my best finish in a major. I really battled. I was leading for the last, what, 45 holes. There’s a lot to take away from that.”
Fox’s victory was built on endurance as the pressure increased on the back nine. A scare lie in the bunker on the par-3 15th forced him to pitch back toward the tee box before saving a bogey with a spectacular up-and-down move.
After making birdie on the 13th, 14th and 16th holes, he needed another birdie on the 18th hole for victory. Fox promised himself he wouldn’t die of curiosity, telling his caddy that if he made a bad drive on the toughest hole on the course, he could suffer the consequences for the rest of his life.
He had a perfect shot and made nine shots from 160 yards. Fox then stayed true to his reputation as one of golf’s fastest players, sinking the winning putt almost before the crowd had a chance to register the moment.
He became the first New Zealander to lift the Claret Jug since Sir Bob Charles in 1963, marking one of the great unexpected victories in modern golf. His previous best finish at a major was a tie for 16th at the 2019 Open, making him only the second player to win a major without previously finishing in the top 10.
“I was a rookie on the DP World Tour at 30. I was a rookie on the PGA Tour at 37, and now I was a major champion at 39,” Fox said. “The Australian tour was the first tour I ever played. It was a really underrated tour.
“If you had given me my career by the time I turned pro yesterday, I would have jumped at it. Now I would probably kill people for it.”
Nic Dastey, Fox’s close friend and PGA Australia’s tournament general manager, was watching this match with pride.
“The best thing I can say about Ryan is that he hasn’t changed since he first turned pro. This isn’t going to change him,” Dastey said.
“He’s a great person. He’s someone who can be an example to professional golfers and someone we would want as a member of the tour, that’s the type of person he is. He’s a great guy and will always continue to contribute to Australian and New Zealand golf.”
Fox has also formed a close friendship with Shane Warne and dedicated his 2022 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship victory at the Old Course in St Andrews to the king of spin. Warne would be proud of Fox’s composure.
Sunday’s celebrations reflected how unexpected the moment was. Fox had previously won twice on the PGA Tour, but when he was asked to break a champagne bottle for a photo, those nearby could hear him laughing that he had never done that before.
“I don’t know what to think right now,” Fox said. “I spoke to my kids last night and they said ‘bring back a trophy’. I think it’s a lovely reward for them. My family in New Zealand and all my supporters there, I know it’s been a long night for them, but I’m glad it was worth it.”
“This is something you dream about. When I was at home, I would wake up in the middle of the night and watch this tournament. It’s incredible, surreal, crazy. Honestly, I don’t have enough words in my vocabulary to describe it.”
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Tom Decent is chief sports writer for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect with: X or email.
