Fox Wins the Open, First Kiwi Champion Since 1963

The 154th Open Championship belonged to a 39-year-old New Zealander who, until Sunday, had never finished inside the top ten of a major. Ryan Fox holed a twelve-foot putt on the last green at Royal Birkdale, raised both arms, and became Champion Golfer of the Year.

The final round

Fox began the day two strokes behind the 54-hole leader, Sam Burns, and few had marked him as the man to beat. The baked-out links offered little, and the scoreboard tightened rather than cleared. He birdied four of his final six holes to sign for a closing 68 and reach ten under par for the week. The birdie at the long par-4 18th was only the fifth made there all day; his ball crept in off the left side. The finish edged Cameron Young by a single stroke.

Young had done almost everything asked of him. Starting seven off the pace, he birdied his first three holes and four of his first five, went out in 39, then birdied both par-5s on the inward nine to stand alone at ten under. A fairway bunker at the 18th undid him: he thinned his second into the bunker face, was fortunate to find the rough, and got up and down from sand for bogey and a 64. His total of nine under held the clubhouse lead for more than two hours.

Others came and went on the firm turf. Defending champion Scottie Scheffler needed a birdie at the last to tie Young, pushed his drive right, missed from ten feet and shot 67 to share fourth with Tommy Fleetwood. Burns, who had almost skipped the week after the birth of his second child, reached eleven under before three straight bogeys from the fourth ended his challenge; he finished third.

A late arrival

The number that framed the week came on Saturday. Fox's third-round 62 matched the major championship scoring record, and his final 36 holes of 130 tied the lowest in the tournament's history. He had made 29 previous major starts without a top-ten finish. Ranked 56th in the world, he collected $3.25 million from a record $17.75 million purse.

In lifting the claret jug, Fox became the second man from New Zealand to do so, joining Bob Charles, whose 1963 victory came just up the coast at Royal Lytham & St. Annes.

"It's unbelievable. I'm still not sure what to think. It is a dream come true," Fox said after the ceremony. "I'm not quite sure how I hit that putt at 18. It's surreal that it went in."

Sixty-three years is a long wait. Ryan Fox ended it with one quiet putt, and then he called home.