Ryan Fox races from Open glory into golf’s pace debate
After winning the Open with a speedy birdie putt, Ryan Fox said quick decision-making in golf is “not that difficult.”
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
Ryan Fox needed only 22 seconds over the putt that changed his career.
According to ESPN News Services, the 39-year-old New Zealander stood over a 12-foot birdie try at the Open Championship with his first major title waiting. He hit it without a long stare-down, without a drawn-out routine, and with plenty riding on the roll.
The putt dropped, giving Fox the Open title at Southport, England. It also pushed his brisk style of play into the spotlight at a time when golf’s pace remains a regular grumble among players, broadcasters and fans.
Fox, speaking Sunday evening, tried to tread carefully while explaining why he plays so fast. He said he did not want the comment to land the wrong way, then made his point: “It’s not that difficult to pick a shot and pick a club.”
Fox said that, for him, the choice into a green usually comes down to one or two clubs. He sees the shot, chooses it, and goes. The less time he spends thinking, he said, the less room there is for negative thoughts to slip in.
A quick routine on the biggest stage
ESPN News Services reported that Fox’s closing sequence at the Open was as clean as it gets: a strong drive, a 9-iron approach and the birdie putt that sealed the championship.
Dean Smith, Fox’s caddie, said the pace was nothing new. Smith said he has worked 250 tournaments with Fox and that the tempo has not changed.
Smith said some people may see Fox as rushing around the course, but he said the speed helps remove uncertainty from the process.
Fox’s style puts him alongside a small group of players known for getting on with it in the modern pro game. ESPN News Services listed Joe Ogilvie, Bill Haas, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Lucas Glover and Matt Jones among players with reputations for quick play.
Asked whether anyone is faster than him, Fox named Italy’s Renato Paratore. Fox said Paratore once hit shots while his name was still being announced on the first tee.
Scheffler noticed, too
Fox also recalled playing in a threesome with Scottie Scheffler at the WM Phoenix Open.
Fox said he could not tell whether Scheffler’s remark was a jab or praise. According to Fox, Scheffler told him after the ninth tee that it felt like Fox was not even in the group because he hit so quickly, making it feel like a two-man game.
Fox said his pace is the way he has always played. After holding that rhythm under Open pressure, he said he was glad he kept the same routine down the stretch.
The Associated Press contributed to ESPN’s report.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.