The Monday Review

Ryan Fox Claims the Claret Jug as Golf’s Summer Continues to Deliver

Golf has a wonderful habit of producing stories that nobody could have confidently predicted at the start of the week.

The 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale gave us another one.

Ryan Fox arrived on Merseyside as a respected, powerful and experienced player, but not as the obvious name most people expected to be holding the Claret Jug on Sunday evening. By the end of a remarkable four days, the 39-year-old New Zealander had become Champion Golfer of the Year, finishing at 10-under-par and one shot ahead of Cameron Young.

He secured it in the most dramatic way possible: with a birdie on the 72nd hole.

That final putt was the perfect ending to a championship that continued golf’s exceptional summer. There were record-equalling rounds, constantly changing leaderboards, established stars, unlikely contenders and the type of tension that only links golf seems able to produce.

A Champion Who Refused to Disappear

Fox’s week did not begin like the story of a future champion.

An opening round of 72 left him well down the field and seven shots away from the early lead. At that stage, simply working his way into the championship would have been the immediate priority.

A second-round 68 improved his position, but it was Saturday that completely transformed the week.

Fox produced a magnificent round of 62, equalling the lowest score ever recorded in a men’s major championship. It moved him from the fringes of the contest into genuine contention and created the platform for one of the most significant victories in New Zealand golf.

That round was not simply a burst of good scoring. It demonstrated the importance of staying emotionally engaged in a tournament, even when the opening day has not gone to plan. Fox did not chase the championship too early. He remained patient, allowed the week to develop and then took advantage when the opportunity arrived.

It is an important lesson for golfers at every level. One poor round, one bad start or one difficult stretch does not have to define the entire competition.

A Final Round Worthy of the Claret Jug

Sunday’s leaderboard contained several players capable of winning, and the championship continued to shift throughout the afternoon.

Fox began the final round two shots behind Sam Burns. Cameron Young was also firmly involved, while the chasing group knew that Royal Birkdale could still create opportunities and mistakes in equal measure.

The decisive stretch came late.

Fox birdied four of his final six holes, showing both aggression and control when the pressure was at its greatest. There were difficult moments, including awkward bunker situations over the closing holes, but he continued to find solutions.

Standing on the 18th tee, Fox was tied with Cameron Young, who had already completed his round at nine-under-par.

Fox found the fairway, struck his approach to just over 11 feet and then rolled in the winning birdie putt. It was a finish of genuine quality: three committed shots when anything less would have resulted in a playoff.

His final-round 68 completed rounds of 72, 68, 62 and 68 for a total of 270, 10-under-par.

Final Leaderboard

1. Ryan Fox — 10-under
2. Cameron Young — 9-under

Fox became only the second New Zealander to win The Open, following Sir Bob Charles in 1963, and the third player from New Zealand to win a men’s major championship.

The Value of Experience

There is something particularly satisfying about seeing a player win a first major later in his career.

Modern golf can create the impression that every future champion should be identified as a teenager, become a tour winner in their early twenties and immediately begin collecting major championships. Fox’s journey is a reminder that development is rarely so neat.

He has built his career gradually, learning how to compete across different tours, conditions and continents. His game has always contained enormous power, but the player who won at Royal Birkdale was far more than a long hitter. He managed the course, accepted difficult moments and executed under extreme pressure.

At 39, and approaching his 40th birthday, Fox has produced the defining performance of his career.

That does not make his victory an unlikely accident. It makes it the culmination of years of experience.

Cameron Young Comes Agonisingly Close

Cameron Young once again showed that he has the game to contend at the very highest level.

His closing total of nine-under-par would have been enough to force a playoff had Fox failed to birdie the final hole. Instead, Young was left watching as the New Zealander produced the shot and putt required to win outright.

For Young, it is another outstanding major performance without the final reward. Those experiences can become difficult to carry, but they can also be invaluable. He continues to place himself in the right positions, and the quality required to win a major is clearly present.

The challenge is converting those opportunities when they arrive.

The Round of 62 Becomes Part of the Story

One of the extraordinary features of the championship was the number of exceptional low rounds.

Lucas Herbert, Sam Burns and Ryan Fox all produced rounds of 62 during the week, each equalling the major championship scoring record.

Links golf is often associated with survival, patience and battling difficult weather. Royal Birkdale certainly demanded those qualities, but the conditions also allowed the best players to attack at particular moments.

The result was a fascinating contrast. Players needed the imagination and discipline traditionally associated with The Open, but they also needed the confidence to recognise when scoring opportunities were available.

Fox’s 62 ultimately became the round that changed the championship.

Royal Birkdale Delivers Again

Royal Birkdale remains one of the great Open venues because the course is visible and understandable without ever becoming predictable.

Players can see the challenge in front of them. The fairways sit between the dunes, the bunkers are clearly defined and the greens offer identifiable targets. Yet knowing where to hit the ball and actually producing the shot under pressure are very different things.

The closing holes again provided the theatre. Fox’s final approach and birdie putt will now sit alongside the many memorable moments created at this venue.

The championship also benefited from excellent crowds and a leaderboard containing a wide mixture of players. Local interest around Tommy Fleetwood added energy to the week, while the movement created by the record-equalling rounds ensured that nobody could become comfortable.

A Summer That Keeps Producing Stories

This golfing summer has already delivered major champions, dramatic finishes and a broad range of compelling player stories.

The women’s game has been equally strong. Haeran Ryu followed her KPMG Women’s PGA Championship victory by winning the Amundi Evian Championship in a sudden-death playoff against Brooke Henderson. Two consecutive major victories have moved Ryu into an entirely different level of recognition.

Henderson’s performance was another reminder of her enduring quality. She pushed the championship into extra holes and continues to produce significant performances more than a decade into her professional career.

The LPGA Tour now moves towards the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open before the AIG Women’s Open, while the men’s tours begin to move from the major championship season towards their closing stretches.

Across the DP World Tour, Ladies European Tour and LIV Golf, attention will increasingly turn to season-long standings, qualification positions and the opportunities still available before the autumn.

The major season may be approaching its conclusion, but there remains a great deal to play for.

The Coaching Lesson: Stay in the Competition

The most useful lesson from Fox’s victory is not technical.

It is the value of remaining present in a competition when the week has not started perfectly.

After an opening 72, Fox could not control what the leaders were doing. He could only manage his own response. He improved on Friday, produced something exceptional on Saturday and then remained composed enough to finish the job on Sunday.

Golfers often lose tournaments emotionally before they are mathematically out of contention. A poor opening stretch creates frustration, frustration affects decision-making and the player begins chasing shots that are not available.

Fox did the opposite.

He stayed patient, kept making good decisions and allowed the championship to come back towards him.

For club golfers, junior players and aspiring tournament golfers, the message is simple:

• Do not allow one round to define the event.
• Keep making sensible decisions.
• Remain committed to the next shot.
• Recognise when the opportunity to attack finally arrives.

A competition is not over simply because it has become difficult.

What Comes Next

The professional golf calendar now moves into another important period.

The women’s game heads towards the Scottish links and the AIG Women’s Open. The PGA Tour moves closer to the FedExCup Playoffs, while players across the DP World Tour and Ladies European Tour continue to fight for ranking positions, exemptions and end-of-season opportunities.

For Ryan Fox, the immediate future will feel very different.

He is no longer simply one of the game’s most powerful and entertaining international players. He is a major champion and the Champion Golfer of the Year.

The manner of the victory made it even more memorable: a slow start, a record-equalling Saturday, a tense final round and a birdie at the last to win the Claret Jug.

Golf’s summer continues to deliver.

This time, it belonged to Ryan Fox.

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