The Open Championship: Ryan Fox’s First Time

Ryan Fox won the Open Championship, the oldest major tournament on the circuit, claiming his first career victory in one of the four major tournaments of international golf. On the 18th hole, he needed a birdie to avoid a playoff with Cameron Young: he achieved that goal without any trouble, becoming the third New Zealander to do so after Bob Charles and Michael Campbell.

The foundation of his success was Saturday’s 62, which put him firmly in contention for the title. Over Sunday’s 18 holes, Fox managed his round well, recording three birdies on four of the final nine holes and maintaining his composure even after missing a birdie on the 17th. His finish on the 18th capped off a tournament played with consistency.

Young, who shot a 64 in the final round, had reached -10 with a birdie on the 17th. On the 18th, however, he was let down by a shot that sent the ball into a deep bunker; he struggled to recover and ended up with a bogey that put him one stroke behind Fox. Sam Burns, who started the day with a two-stroke lead, derailed his round with three consecutive bogeys on holes 4 through 6. A missed birdie on the 17th left him at -8, which wasn’t enough to stay in contention.

Si Woo Kim then lost ground with three bogeys on the back nine, finishing at -6. Scottie Scheffler climbed back up to -8, but a bogey on the 18th knocked him out of contention. Tommy Fleetwood faltered after three consecutive bogeys midway through the round. Bryson DeChambeau, at the center of controversy over a two-stroke penalty in the second round, fell out of contention for good with a bogey on the 9th and a triple bogey on the 11th.