Ryan Fox secured his first major championship in a heart‑stopping finish at the 154th Open, edging out Cameron Young by a single stroke after a dramatic birdie on the 18th hole. Fox entered the weekend in strong form, having tied the record for the lowest round in a men’s major with a blistering 62 in the third round, and he rode that momentum through a roller‑coaster final day to emerge victorious.
The New Zealand native started the final round two shots behind overnight leader Sam Burns, but a steady climb saw him join Young at the top of the leaderboard with both players standing at nine under par after 72 holes. Young, who had begun the day tied for 20th, produced a remarkable surge, erasing a seven‑shot deficit and posting a 64 that set the clubhouse target.
He then endured a long wait of nearly two and a half hours, hoping his score would hold up while Fox prepared his final approach. On the 18th, a par‑four, Fox hit an approach shot that landed just 12 feet from the pin. He calmly rolled the ball into the cup, securing the decisive birdie and sealing a one‑shot win.
The victory was historic for New Zealand: Fox joined the ranks of Bob Charles and Michael Campbell as the only male New Zealanders to have won a major title. Burns, who had led after 54 holes, could only manage a 72 on the final day, finishing two strokes behind Fox in solo third place.
Home favorite Tommy Fleetwood trailed by another shot, sharing fourth place with world number 1 Scottie Scheffler. The top ten after the first round featured nine players still seeking their maiden major, underscoring the depth of talent in the field.
Young’s charge was sparked by an aggressive front‑nine 29, followed by birdies on both par‑fives after the turn. Although he missed a short putt on the last hole and could not save par, his clubhouse total of nine under remained the benchmark until Fox’s final‑hole heroics. In the penultimate group, South Korean Si Woo Kim briefly surged to 10 under after a front‑nine 32, briefly taking the lead. However, a string of four bogeys in his final eight holes dropped him to a 70 and a shared sixth place with Casey Jarvis and Lucas Herbert, the latter matching Fox’s earlier 62.
Fox’s round was a study in resilience. After matching Burns with a birdie on the second hole, he slipped into over‑par territory with bogeys on the ninth and eleventh.
He rebounded with consecutive birdies from the thirteenth through the fifteenth, re‑joining Young at nine under. A missed sand save on the 15th could have cost him, but he recovered with a ten‑foot birdie putt to stay level.
While Scheffler pressed within a shot of the lead, a bogey on the 18th knocked him back. The climax came on the 17th, a par‑five where Fox could not capitalize, but the drama shifted to the 18th.
His 12‑foot birdie putt ignited jubilant celebrations on the green, cementing his place in New Zealand golf history. Burns, despite a steady run of 13 consecutive pars to close, was unable to convert his 54‑hole lead, echoing his near‑miss at the U.S. Open just 13 months earlier.
Fleetwood secured a share of fourth with a strong birdie‑birdie finish on his final‑round 68. Other notable performances included Bryson DeChambeau, who finished tied‑14th, six strokes back, and Rory McIlroy, who posted a one‑over 71 and ended nine strokes behind the winner. After the win, an elated Fox reflected on the surreal nature of his triumph: “It’s unbelievable, to be honest.
My nerves were all over the place, and I still can’t believe how I hit that putt on 18. It feels like a dream come true.
Seeing the trophy up close for the first time is something I’ll never forget. I told my caddie midway through the round that I felt a lot better than I expected.” He added details about the decisive putt: “Everything was shaking.
I wasn’t sure how I hit it straight, but when I saw it tracking toward the left edge I thought, ‘This has a chance!’ It had the right speed, and I knew I wasn’t going to make anything back. It’s a lot easier on a practice green than in a tournament setting.” Commentators praised his fearless approach.
Sky Sports’ Dame Laura Davies noted, “Fox stayed aggressive throughout. He wasn’t scared of losing it, and when a birdie opportunity presented itself he went for it with full commitment.
The two shots he hit on 18 were among the best of his career, giving him the chance he needed.” Andrew Coltart of Sky Sports added, “I’ve never seen anyone push through the tape as hard as Fox did at the end of a major. His 62 the day before gave him confidence, and while others faltered under pressure, he stood tall and delivered when it mattered most.” The next stop on the PGA Tour calendar is the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities in Minnesota, which begins Thursday. Early coverage will be on Sky Sports+, moving to Sky Sports Golf later in the evening.
The 3M Open is part of a triple‑header of live golf on Sky Sports, alongside the ISPS Handa Senior Open and the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open. The women’s major season will conclude with the AIG Women’s Open from July 30 to August 2, also broadcast live on Sky Sports Golf.
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