Ryan Fox grabs Open crown with final-hole birdie
Ryan Fox birdied the 18th at Royal Birkdale to edge Cameron Young by one shot and win his first major championship.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
Ryan Fox needed one last birdie at Royal Birkdale, and the New Zealander found it on the 72nd hole to win the 154th Open Championship, according to ESPN.
Fox closed with a 2-under 68 on Sunday in Southport, England, finishing at 10-under 270. That left him one shot ahead of Cameron Young, who had posted 9 under from the clubhouse after a closing 64.
ESPN reported that Fox faced a 175-yard approach into the 18th green while needing birdie to avoid a playoff with Young. His ball finished 11½ feet from the cup, and after playing partner Sam Burns completed the hole, Fox made the putt to take the Claret Jug.
The victory was the first major title of Fox’s career. ESPN noted that the 39-year-old began the tournament at 170-1 odds to win, according to DraftKings.
Fox also became the third male golfer from New Zealand to win a major, joining Bob Charles, who won the 1963 Open Championship, and Michael Campbell, winner of the 2005 U.S. Open.
Friday fireworks set up Sunday finish
Fox’s week had already included a record-level charge. ESPN reported that he shot 62 on Friday, matching the lowest round ever recorded in a major championship.
On Sunday, his closing kick included three birdies over four holes on the back nine. He nearly moved ahead earlier, but missed a 10-foot birdie try on the par-5 17th before delivering at the last.
Young put pressure on the field with seven birdies in his final round. He reached 10 under with a birdie at the par-5 17th, drawing level with then-leader Si Woo Kim, according to ESPN.
The 18th cost him. ESPN reported that Young’s 319-yard tee shot found a deep fairway bunker. His next shot struck the bunker lip and kicked right, his third rolled into a greenside bunker, and he nearly holed a 33-foot chip before making bogey.
Young told ESPN he thought 10 under “had a decent chance” and said his tee shot at 18 was difficult in the wind. He finished one back while also chasing his first major title.
Burns fades, Scheffler makes a run
Burns began the final round with a two-shot lead after shooting 62 on Saturday, ESPN reported. He birdied the second hole to reach 11 under, the first player to get there, before three straight bogeys on Nos. 4, 5 and 6 knocked him back.
Burns had a chance to tie Fox and Young at the par-5 17th, but left a 32½-foot birdie putt short. He finished third at 8 under.
Kim led at 10 under at the turn, according to ESPN, while trying to become the first Asian-born player to win the Claret Jug. Bogeys at Nos. 11, 12 and 16 dropped him into a tie for sixth at 6 under.
Scottie Scheffler, the world No. 1, pushed into contention with birdies on three of his first five holes and another at No. 12. ESPN reported he added birdies at 16 and 17, both on 11-foot putts, but bogeyed the 18th after driving into native grass.
Scheffler and Tommy Fleetwood tied for fourth at 7 under. Fleetwood, who grew up in Southport, reached 8 under after eight holes before three consecutive bogeys ended his bid, according to ESPN.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.