Ryan Fox clinched his first major title at Royal Birkdale on Sunday. Becoming a part of The Open's rich history, the 39-year-old’s dream had come true.

Fox registered the win on the back of a record-matching third-round performance and a solid display of nerves at the closing stretch on Sunday. He knew the achievement was huge for his nation.

“Everything, to be honest. I mean, you do dream of this moment. I don't know whether I ever thought it was going to become a reality. Now it is, and to have my name etched in the history of the game is pretty awesome. I think it's pretty awesome for New Zealand as well. It's going to be big down there,” said Fox.

Cameron Young had taken the clubhouse lead at 9-under and stood at the top for two hours. It was Fox who came charging to ruin his party.

Fox didn’t lose his cool after back-to-back bogeys on the back nine. He tied for the lead with a birdie at the 16th. Landing a 12-foot birdie putt on the final hole, the New Zealander got his hands on the Claret Jug. 

“I appreciate all the support from down there at home. It's going to be a lot of people pretty sad Monday morning at work after staying up all night to watch. I'm glad it was worthwhile for them,” he added in an interview, accessed by ASAP Sports.

Fox cemented his name in the history books. He became just the second New Zealander to secure the Open Championship after Sir Bob Charles in 1963. 

The Royal Birkdale had a clear favorite in Tommy Fleetwood, who couldn’t live up to expectations. However, the Englishman made sure to acknowledge the support.

Tommy Fleetwood on the Royal Birkdale crowd

Since his first tee shot, Tommy Fleetwood had the backing of the Royal Birkdale crowd. The home favorite had his say on the support.

"That was heavy stuff. As a kid when you're dreaming of having a putt to win The Open or playing The Open or winning The Open, that's one thing, but I could never imagine that scene on 18, getting the ovation and the support that I have this week," said Fleetwood, as per GolfMagic. "That's incredibly special. I do know how incredibly lucky I am to have experienced that.”

At one point, Fleetwood was within two shots of the lead with birdies at the fifth and eighth. However, a three-peat of bogeys on the run made him fall out of contention.

Finishing at 7-under, Fleetwood secured a tie for 4th alongside 2025 Open winner Scottie Scheffler.

What are your thoughts on Ryan Fox’s performance at the 154th Open? Share them in the comments.

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Written by

Avishek Sarkar

Edited by

Kaamna Dwivedi