Ryan Fox secured his first major championship in a dramatic finish at the 154th Open, edging out Cameron Young by a single stroke after a clutch birdie on the 18th hole. The New Zealand native entered the final round just two shots behind overnight leader Sam Burns, but his steady play and a spectacular finish propelled him to the top of a tightly packed leaderboard. Fox’s journey to the victory began in the third round, where he carded a spectacular 62, tying the record for the lowest round ever recorded in a men’s major.
That explosive performance put him in contention and set the tone for the weekend. On Sunday, the competition intensified as several players vied for their first major title.
Nine of the ten players who started the day were seeking that elusive breakthrough, but it was Young, who had started the tournament tied for 20th, who made the biggest move early on. After a front‑nine 29, Young birdied both par‑fives on the back nine, catapulting himself into the lead and establishing a clubhouse target of nine under par.
While Young waited more than two hours to see if his final‑round 64 would hold, Fox was still on the course. He reached the 72nd hole tied with Young, and the tension was palpable.
On the par‑four 18th, Fox hit an approach shot that landed just 12 feet from the pin. He calmly rolled the putt in for birdie, clinching a one‑stroke victory and sealing a remarkable triumph for the Kiwi.
Burns, who had led after the first two rounds, faltered on the final day, posting a 72 that left him two strokes behind Fox in third place. Home favorite Tommy Fleetwood finished a shot further back, sharing fourth place with world number one Scottie Scheffler, who also posted a solid round but could not match Fox’s finish. The final round was a roller‑coaster of emotions for the leaders.
Si Woo Kim, playing in the penultimate group, briefly surged to 10 under after a front‑nine 32, but a series of four bogeys in his last eight holes dropped him to a final‑round 70, leaving him tied for sixth. Meanwhile, Fox’s round was a mix of highs and lows. He began by matching Burns’ birdie on the second hole with a 15‑foot putt, but bogeys on the ninth and eleventh holes put him over par.
He rebounded with consecutive birdies from the 13th to the 15th, pulling level with Young at nine under. A missed up‑and‑down from a bunker on the 15th could have cost him, yet he recovered with a 10‑foot birdie putt to regain the lead.
The decisive moment came on the 17th, a par‑five where Fox missed a birdie opportunity, but he kept his composure. On the 18th, his 12‑foot birdie putt ignited wild celebrations on the green. The victory placed him alongside Bob Charles and Michael Campbell as one of only three New Zealand men to have ever won a major championship.
Burns, despite a strong start, could not convert his 54‑hole lead into a win, marking the second consecutive season he lost a major after holding the lead after three rounds. Fleetwood finished tied for fourth after a birdie‑birdie finish on his final‑round 68. Bryson DeChambeau ended the tournament tied for 14th, six strokes behind the winner, while Rory McIlroy finished nine strokes back after a one‑over 71. In post‑tournament interviews, Fox expressed disbelief at his achievement.
"It's unbelievable, to be honest," he said. "My nerves were all over the place, and I still can't quite figure out how I hit that putt on 18.
It feels like a dream come true. Seeing the trophy up close for the first time is surreal. I told my caddie around the sixth or eighth hole that I felt a lot better than I expected." When asked about the crucial 18th‑hole putt, Fox added, "Everything was shaking. I wasn't sure how I managed to keep it straight, but when I saw it tracking toward the left edge, I thought it had a chance.
The speed was perfect, and I knew there was nothing coming back. It’s a putt you can practice on a range, but doing it under that pressure is a whole different story." Sky Sports commentator Dame Laura Davies praised Fox’s aggressive mindset, noting that he never seemed afraid of losing his lead.
"He stayed aggressive, hitting irons when necessary, but whenever a birdie chance presented itself, he went for it with full commitment. The way he played the 18th could not have been drawn up any better; those were two of the best shots of his career," she remarked.
Andrew Coltart of Sky Sports highlighted Fox’s resilience, saying, "I’ve never seen anyone push through the tape as hard as he did at the end of the tournament. That 62 on Friday gave him belief in his ability, and while others struggled with the pressure, Fox stood tall and delivered when it mattered most." The next PGA Tour event on the calendar is the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities in Minnesota, set to begin Thursday with early coverage on Sky Sports+ before moving to Sky Sports Golf at 7 p.m.
The 3M Open will be 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 on Sky Sports Golf.
For golf enthusiasts looking to play the sport themselves, Sky Sports offers a subscription that provides access to live coverage without a contract, and there are options to book tee times at over 1,700 courses across the UK and Ireland. Overall, Ryan Fox’s victory at The Open represents a historic moment for New Zealand golf and showcases the dramatic, unpredictable nature of major championship golf, where perseverance, skill, and a little bit of luck can combine to produce unforgettable finishes.