Tussle at the top at Royal Birkdale

Ryan Fox from New Zealand had a magnificent week in the 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, Southport, England (16-19 July) to become the Champion Golfer of the Year with an impressive score of 10-under par.  Fox made a miraculous birdie down the last to snatch the Claret Jug just one shot clear of American Cameron Young.  It was really a breathtaking finish on the links course with so many players in with a chance of victory.

 

Glorious weather greeted the best players in the world in Southport for the fourth and last Major of the season.  But who would have guessed that the 39-year old Ryan Fox would lift the trophy?  After all, the player from New Zealand had never even managed to finish in the top-10 in a Major.  Actually though, a good tip came in the third round of the 154th Open when Fox shot a superb round of 62.  This saw him shoot-up the leaderboard.  But he was not the only one.

 

American Cameron Young was impressing the fans too.  The 29-year old was really on a roll as a birdie machine.  After nine holes he had soared to the top and was a magical 8-under par for a share of second place with Si Woo Kim (South Korea) and Ryan Fox.

 

Back to the first tee

 

With the third round leader Sam Burns (USA) still having to tee-off with Ryan Fox, it was interesting to see that the leaders of the first two days such as Jackson Suber (USA) and Lucas Herbert (Australia) were still in with a small chance of victory.

 

 

Fox playing with Burns on Sunday created a great battle.  In fact, Fox made birdie at the second hole to nudge one shot closer to Sam Burns.  However, Burns replied with his own birdie:  Burns 11-under; Fox 9-under.

 

South Korean Si Woo Kim was equally formidable.  He shared second spot with Fox after 54 holes and was playing with American Ryan Gerard.  Kim made a birdie at the 4th to climb to 9-under.  England’s Tommy Fleetwood was also in the running after a birdie at the 7th got him to 8-under.

 

On the 5th hole leader Sam Burns was through the green and putted up the slope but his ball ran rapidly across the green leaving him with a testing putt for par.  Alas, he suffered a bogey to slip into a tie of second place with Young, Kim and Fox.  This championship was becoming a real nail-biter.

 

 

One hole later Burns drove his ball to the left into a water-hazard.  It cost him a third bogey.  Was the young American out of the picture? Or could the new father of a baby daughter claw his way back on the back nine?

 

In no time at all Si Woo Kim had made back-to-back birdies at the 5th and 6th to snatch the lead on 10-under.  Kim’s game was really hotting-up.  Young’s too.  The American also got to 10-under to share the lead with Kim.

 

On the final hole, Cameron Young’s ball found the sand-bunker off the tee.  However, he was playing so well that he decided to go for the green.  Yet his second shot clipped the face of the bunker and his ball shot-off to the right into the rough.  It was an agonising hole for Young as his third shot then ended-up in the greenside bunker.  Then, amazingly, he very nearly holed the shot!  Alas, his superb round of golf finished with a bogey giving the American the best round of the day – a 6-under par 64 and a championship score of 9-under.

 

Korean leader

 

At this moment Si Woo Kim was the tournament leader on 10-under par after eight holes.  Was the player from South Korea about to snatch the Claret Jug?  He was looking super steady and ultimately focussed.  Or perhaps Sam Burns or Ryan Fox would make a charge?

 

World Number One Scottie Scheffler was defending his 2025 Championship title at Royal Birkdale but alas he struggled.  On the final day he carded a 3-under par 67 to secure a share of 4th spot with Tommy Fleetwood on 7-under who created wonderful birdies at the 17th and 18th.

 

Meanwhile Ryan Fox made bogey at the 9th and 11th but birdies at the 13th, 14th and 16th to get him back on track.  However, he suffered a bogey at the par-3 15th after his ball found an impossible lie in the bunker.  He had to play out backwards but luckily still made a bogey to stay in a share of second place on 8-under par.

 

Burns’ second shot found the bunker at the 16th but he still made par.  Could the American conjure-up two birdies on the 17th and 18th to challenge Cameron Young who was safely in the clubhouse on 9-under.

 

Fox shares the lead with Young

 

Well, Ryan Fox rose to this occasion.  He made a birdie at the 16th to seize a share of the lead with Young.  In his usual speedy way of playing, Fox’s teeshot with an iron at the 556-yard, par-5 17th to avoid the sand unluckily ran like crazy and ended-up in the sand.  Fox was unperturbed and knocked the ball out of the sand and then onto the green where he just missed the birdie.  Fox remained on 9-under par.

 

 

Sam Burns played nine holes of regular pars on the back stretch to finish with a 72 and tournament tally of 8-under par for third spot on his own.

 

Cameron Young was watching the play very carefully and decided to head to the practice ground and warm-up for a potential play-off.  Only Ryan Fox was a contender now as Si Woo Kim had suffered too many bogeys on the back nine.  Could Ryan Fox make a birdie down the final hole to snatch the Claret Jug?

 

The 18th was a par-4 of 508 yards.  With the pressure of having to make a birdie there in order to seize the trophy or face a play-off with Cameron Young, how would the player from New Zealand tackle the hole?

 

The answer is pretty simple actually.  Fire your second shot onto the green and hole the putt from about three yards.  And that is exactly what Ryan Fox did.  Amazing!  The 39-year old from New Zealand, who won the PGA Championship at Wentworth in 2023, was absolutely overwhelmed.  In fact, delighted!  What a magnificent Open Championship!  The world is really in shock, I believe!

 

Ryan Fox has become only the second ever player from New Zealand to win the Open Championship.  Bob Charles was the first back in 1963.

 

Ryan Fox is the 2026 Champion Golfer of the Year and we are truly proud of your fantastic achievement!  Congratulations!

 

 

Wendy Hoad

Editor

 

 

MAIN PHOTOGRAPH:  Ryan Fox from New Zealand delighted fans at Royal Birkdale when he snatched the Claret Jug.  BELOW (l-r): Sam Burns and Ryan Fox.  MINIS (l-r): Tommy Fleetwood, Si Woo Kim, Ryan Gerard and Lucas Herbert.  Cameron Young and Ryan Fox.