Connor O’Neill reports from Royal Birkdale after Ryan Fox won The Open Championship with an incredible birdie at the last to claim his first-ever major
Ryan Fox after his The Open victory(Image: (ColinLane/LiverpoolECHO))
Ryan Fox admitted he had no idea how he landed the putt that wrote his name into The Open history books and earned him $3.2m in prize money. Fox kept his head while all around him were losing theirs to make his Major breakthrough at the 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.
The 39-year-old became the fourth player from New Zealand to win a golf Major when he landed an incredible birdie at the last. The New Zealander recorded a 68 in round four to beat Cameron Young by one stroke after the American shot a 64 earlier in the day.
Fox was one of only three players in the last 12 groups to shoot under par in a chaotic final day and he admitted: “It’s unbelievable, to be honest. I still don’t know what to think.
“My nerves are all over the place. I’m not quite sure how I hit that putt on 18. It is a dream come true.
“Looking at this trophy now, it’s the first time I’ve seen it up close, so this is a dream come true. I was really happy. I said to my caddie through six or eight holes: ‘I feel a lot better than I thought I would now.
“I played really solid early and then hit some great shots down the stretch. To play that last hole like I did. I stood on the 18th tee and said to my caddie: ‘We’re going to try to win this’. I hit two perfect shots.
“I’m not sure how I hit that putt, my hands were all over the place. It’s surreal it went in. Champion Golfer of the Year’s got a pretty good ring to it.”
Meanwhile, earlier in the day, Rory McIlroy revealed he plans to celebrate his Masters triumph after a nightmare week at Royal Birkdale.
The Northern Irishman won his second Masters crown back in April but ended his quest for the Claret Jug with a disappointing 71.
That left him at one-under for the Championship, with his final round including three bogeys and one double-bogey on the 16th.
“I just sort of stuck in neutral for most of the week,” McIlroy admitted. “Obviously shot a good one on Friday to get myself in for the weekend and back in it.
“Yeah, even par over the weekend is not going to get it done. Yeah, I just felt like any time I got a little bit of momentum out there, I seemed to make a bogey. Yeah, just one of those weeks I couldn’t get it going.”
Before he reflected: “This season feels very similar to last season. Obviously won the first major of the year, fell off a little bit after that, but still any time you win a major in a year, you have to be pleased about that.
“Yeah, like I haven’t really took the time to enjoy that or celebrate that. Poppy’s got another four weeks off school until she goes back, sort of middle to end of August, so just going to enjoy the summer holidays with her and Erica. Yeah, that’s what I’m looking forward to the most.
“Then obviously I’ll get back to playing and still in a decent position, I guess, in both title races. As long as I’m in the top 30 going into the Tour Championship, and then I’m in a decent spot still in the Race to Dubai. So try to play hard until the end of the season and then try to win one or both of those.”
And blazing Bob MacIntyre is adamant he won’t change after he received a ‘code of conduct’ warning for slamming his club into the ground following a poor tee shot on the 16th hole.
MacIntyre finished the championship with a round of 71, leaving him at -2 and said: “Yeah, yeah, but I expect to get a few of them in my career. Yeah, I run hot. So be it.
“I’m going to do it for the rest of my career. I try and toe the line, but when you feel you’re playing a golf course that you can hit it pretty much anywhere and there’s no real punishment and then you do hit one slightly off line and you get the biggest punishment you can possibly get, it’s just a sore one.
“Again, I’m going to react aggressively at times. It’s part of my DNA. To be honest, I couldn’t care less. If I got a two-shot penalty, it’s my fault. A warning, it’s my fault. I don’t really worry about it.”
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