SOUTHPORT, England (AP) 鈥� The hard work for Ryan Fox was just getting to the 18th hole in the British Open with a share of the lead. Still to come was the toughest hole at Royal Birkdale, which had yielded only four birdies to the 76 players who had already come through Sunday.
For a 39-year-old from New Zealand, the son of an All Blacks rugby star who once only dreamed of having a card on any tour, this was no time to back down.
鈥淚 did say to my caddie Dean (Smith) that we were going to take it on, that I was going to try to win the tournament, and I’d live with the consequences if I stuffed it up,鈥� Fox said.
It turned out to be the stuff of major champions.
The drive was powerful and pure. The 9-iron from 175 yards looked good in the air and even better on the ground when it settled 12 feet below the hole. The birdie putt was the biggest of his life.
Fox closed with four birdies over his last six holes 鈥� and one bogey that felt equally important 鈥� for a 2-under 68 and a one-shot victory over for his first major title.
This was pure theater to cap off a week of so much drama 鈥� , , to massive ovations on every hole.
Four players had a share of the lead at some point in the final round. Young was atop the leaderboard for two hours without hitting a shot anywhere but the range because he finished his astonishing 6-under 64 as the last few groups were on the front nine.
Young was on the range when he heard the massive roar and knew it was over. He bowed his head, lifted his driver and tapped the ground before packing up when Fox made his final birdie.
鈥淓veryone practices on the green 鈥� you’ve got a putt to win a major championship, to win The Open. It’s not like that in real life. It’s not a very comfortable feeling,鈥� Fox said. 鈥淚t’s certainly very enjoyable when you see it go in.鈥�
He thrust those powerful arms into the air and was on the phone with his family moments later and was heard telling them, “You asked me to bring a trophy home, and I am, aren鈥檛 I?鈥�
His name will go on the base of that shiny claret jug along with another Kiwi, Bob Charles, who won the British Open in 1963. Michael Campbell is the other New Zealand man to win a major at Pinehurst No. 2 in the 2005 U.S. Open.
Fox’s sterling moment brought more disappointment for Young. The four years ago, and he had a Sunday lead on the front nine at the Masters until Rory McIlroy overtook him.
鈥淚 gave it everything I had all the way through,鈥� Young said when he finished. He declined interviews when Fox ended the 154th Open.
to their daughter earlier than expected, lost a two-shot lead and didn’t make birdie over the last 12 holes to finish two shots behind.
鈥淚 just couldn鈥檛 find them today. Just didn鈥檛 have my best stuff,鈥� Burns said. 鈥淕iven the circumstances, I鈥檓 very pleased with the week. I鈥檓 looking forward to being home.鈥�
Defending champion , getting two bad bounces that cost him momentum, then getting one big break for a most improbable birdie. He closed with a 67 and shared fourth with Fleetwood, who fell back early but delivered a birdie-birdie finish for a 68.
Missing from all drama, remarkably, was DeChambeau. He lost a golf ball and made triple bogey on the 11th hole and didn’t make a birdie until he was well out of contention. That two-shot penalty he received Friday for improving the path of his swing wasn’t an issue at the end. DeChambeau shot a 72 and tied for 14th.
Fox won for the 10th time worldwide, his biggest title before Sunday coming at the BMW PGA Championship in 2023. He is the oldest first-time major champion since Henrik Stenson was 40 at Royal Troon 10 years ago.
Fox finished at 10-under 270, got his hands on the jug and heard those magic words when he was introduced as the 鈥淐hampion Golfer of the Year.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 not quite sure how I hit that putt on 18. Look, it is a dream come true,鈥� Fox said. 鈥淟ooking at that trophy now, it鈥檚 the first time I鈥檝e seen it up close. So it鈥檚 pretty amazing.鈥�
Young was flawless until the final hole, his tee shot finding a pot bunker. He tried to open the face of a 6-iron but caught it thin and it smacked into the vetted wall and into the rough. He hit the next shot into a greenside bunker and nearly holed it for par. The bogey put him at 9-under 271.
Burns was losing ground quickly on the front nine with three straight bogeys, none more damaging than a pitch to the reachable par-4 fifth hole that went over the back of the green.
Si Woo Kim emerged as the leader going to the back nine until he made bogeys on the 11th and 12th holes, and he fell out of contention for good with a pair of late bogeys that added to a 40 on the back nine for 72.
That left Young at the top of the leaderboard, waiting to see if anyone could match him.
Fox’s hopes took a nasty turn on the par-3 15th when his tee shot caromed off the side of a bunker and settled next to the lip, leaving him no stance and no shot. He smartly played away from the back pin to the fairway, chipped from 45 yards away to 6 feet and made bogey.
It was as big as any shot he hit until the last.
鈥淭o get that up-and-down really kept the momentum going,鈥� Fox said. 鈥淚 felt a whole lot better walking off that green making bogey that way than probably even if I鈥檇 have made par.鈥�
Fox was a late bloomer, a European tour rookie at age 30 and a PGA Tour rookie when he was 37. His goal when he started was to have a tour card. Now he’s a major champion.
鈥淚 said to my team last night at dinner, if you’d have given me my career up until yesterday when I turned pro, I’d have jumped at that,鈥� Fox said, speaking with the claret jug at his side. 鈥淚 don’t know what to think now.鈥�
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