Ryan Fox won The Open in dramatic fashion after he birdied the 18th hole on the final day to edge out Cameron Young by one shot.
The New Zealander’s highest ever finish at a major was previously 16th at this tournament in 2019, yet he held his nerve to triumph on Sunday.
Fox shot up the leaderboard on Saturday when he posted an incredible -8 and he eventually finished on -10, one shot clear of Young and two clear of Sam Burns, who had started the final day of action as the leader on -10.
He was one of only three players in the final 12 groups to shoot under par on a chaotic day when Royal Birkdale finally showed its teeth.
After Cameron Young posted the -9 target after a best-of-the-day 64 a couple of hours earlier, double figures was the aim for those out on the course.
Fox headed down the last – Birkdale’s most difficult hole – needing a birdie to overtake the American, for so long the PGA Tour’s perennial runner-up, and hit his approach inside 12 feet.
Ryan Fox won The Open in dramatic fashion after he birdied the 18th hole on the final day
The New Zealander held his nerve under intense pressure to win his first ever major
Fox sank his putt on the 18th hole to trigger jubilant celebrations at Royal Birkdale in Southport
The son of All Blacks fly-half Grant held his nerve, as he had done all day and punched the air as he became New Zealand’s second Open champion after Sir Bob Charles in 1963.
Fox started at -8, two behind, and was never more than one better or one worse all day until delivering the coup de grace at the last – only the fifth birdie on the hole all day – showing a level of composure lacking by some of his rivals.
Playing partner and overnight leader Sam Burns got to -11 after three holes but dropped three strokes, Si Woo Kim gave back four from -10 under while defending champion Scottie Scheffler and home favourite Tommy Fleetwood both threatened before coming up three short.
A pivotal hole for Fox was the 241-yard par-three 15th when an unlucky bounce left him with an almost unplayable lie under the lip of a bunker.
With very little fuss, in keeping with his no-nonsense approach, he took his medicine, splashed out back down the fairway and made bogey.
It could have derailed many players but he holed a 10-footer at the next for a birdie and was left with two holes to pick up one more and the fact he did it on the last, rather than the par-five 17th, was a nod to his quality.
That had been in evidence the day before when he carded one of three 62s scored this week to put him into the final group for the last day.
Speaking after his triumph, a jubilant Fox said: ‘Oh wow, I don’t really know what to think at the moment. I’ve got a lot of people to thank.
‘It’s unbelievable. I still don’t what to think, my nerves are all over the place.
‘I’m not sure how I hit that putt on 18. It’s a dream come true, looking at this trophy up close is pretty amazing.’
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