DP World/PGA Tours : 154th Open Championship Leaderboard Results
Ryan Fox birdied the 72nd hole to win his first Major Championship in a thrilling climax to The 154th Open at Royal Birkdale.
The New Zealander entered the final day two shots off the lead and at -7 through 11 holes of his round was struggling to ignite in the toughening conditions over the sun-baked Southport links.
But he produced a brilliant, gutsy performance down the stretch to claim the Claret Jug and be crowned Champion Golfer of the Year.
In his typical fast on-course manner, he seized the moment with four birdies in his final six holes, producing two of his career-best shots at the 18th, before holding his nerve to hole an 11 foot birdie putt to claim a one-shot triumph over American Cameron Young, who had earlier set the clubhouse target at -9 with a 64.
With victory, Fox becomes just the second Kiwi golfer to win The Open after Bob Charles in 1963 at Royal Lytham & St Annes.
The win is Fox's fifth on the DP World Tour and first since he became a Rolex Series winner at the BMW PGA Championship in September 2023.
Having produced a Major record-equalling 62 in the third round to vault into contention, Fox realised a career goal in a finish that will live long in the memory.
Sam Burns, who held the 54-hole lead, finished 3rd at -8 after a 70, with defending champion Scott Scheffler and home hero Tommy Fleetwood then T4 place at -7 after rounds of 67 and 68 respectively.
Speaking at the trophy presentation, 39-year-old father-of-two Fox said: "I spoke to my kids last night, and they said, 'Bring back a trophy.' I think this is a pretty cool one to bring back for them."
He later said: "It's unbelievable, to be honest. I still don't know what to think. My nerves are all over the place. I'm not quite sure how I hit that putt on 18. Look, it is a dream come true.
"Looking at that trophy now, it's the first time I've seen it up close. So it's pretty amazing."
"To play that last hole how I did, I stood on the tee and said to my caddie Dean [Smith], we're going to try to win this.
"I hit two perfect shots. I'm not sure how I hit the putt. As I said, my hands were all over the place. I was just trying to get it towards the hole somewhere. It's surreal that it went in.
"Champion Golfer of the Year has got a pretty good ring to it."
What it Means
• His first Major Championship win in his 29th appearance at one of the four men's marquee events
• His first Open Championship title comes in his tenth appearance
• Moves to fifth on the Race to Dubai Rankings Delivered by DP World on 2,042.30 points, up from 84th
• Set to rise from 56th to a career-high 22nd on the Official World Golf Ranking
• Earns eligibility to play The Open until the age of 55
• He is into the next five editions of the Masters, US PGA Championship, U.S. Open and The Open
• Receives a lifetime invitation to both the Senior PGA Championship and the Senior Open Championship once he turns 50, along with a one-year invitation to the US Senior Open
• Earns $3.2 million as the winner
• The second New Zealander to win The Open and first since Bob Charles at Royal Lytham & St Annes in 1963
EDIT >> Canadian scores Corey Conners T14 -4 71 67 71 67 ....Nick Taylor T59 +2 68 71 72 71
europeantour.com
Bryan Angus (edit)
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