The reaction to his finest golfing moment says it all – Ryan Fox image courtesy of R&A via Getty Images
It is not only that New Zealander Ryan Fox won the Open Championship for just the second time for the New Zealand nation, but it is the manner in which he did so that will be the long-lasting memory of such an achievement.
His major record equalling round of 62 on Saturday to get him in position to challenge for the title and then bouncing back from two cruel and potentially costly blows late in his final round, especially with so much on the line, and win by hitting two of the most magnificent shots at the last will make an already historic memory even more endearing.
Fox took little time over what he described as a nervy 12-foot putt for birdie to take the title, and as he did so, he threw his arms in the air, almost struggling to believe what he had just achieved.
Fox’s caddy Dean Smith fell to his knees acknowledging just what this win would mean to him also, now and forever being known as the man who assisted Fox to such a remarkable and historic win.
Fox and caddie Dean Smith – image R&A via Getty Images
Fox began the final round two shots behind his playing partner Sam Burns, but before he even began his round, it was clear on yet another day where low scoring was possible that there would be challenges from behind, and the first would come quickly.
Cameron Young began the day seven shots from Burns and five behind Fox, but by the time he reached the turn had had joined Fox at 8 under after an outward nine of 29 even before the final pairing of Fox and Burns had begun their rounds.
Fox made an encouraging start when he birdied the second from 15 feet, but Burns did the same, and the American still led by two. Then came the defining moment for Burns when he dropped shots at the 4th, 5th and 6th holes, and by the time the pair had made the turn, they were both at 8 under and trailing Si Woo Kim, who was out in 32.
Kim led at the turn by one over Young, who had finished his tournament at 9 under and more than two hours ahead of the final group despite his only bogey at the last.
Kim played his final nine holes in 40, however, and it was left to either Fox or Burns to force a playoff or win outright. Fox was first to blink when he missed a 7-foot par-saving out at the 11th, but he then birdied the 13th from 12 feet and the par 5 14th after a brilliant pitch from the left-hand greenside rough to 4 feet.
Fox was by then at 9 under and sharing the lead with Young, who continued to await his fate in the clubhouse before venturing out to warm up for a possible playoff.
Fox was doing his best to keep the occasion under control and hit a stunning shot at the par 3 15th, only for it to just catch the right edge of the front bunker and kick sharply left into a position where all he could do was play backwards. He was then left with around 40 yards to the pin for his third but hit another fine recovery to five feet and holed for an important bogey.
Another birdie would come at the next, however, when from the left-hand rough Fox hit his approach to 10 feet and when that was holed he had again joined Young at 9 under and in the lead.
The par 5 17th would surely be the hole to break the deadlock, especially given Fox’s power, but despite deciding to take an iron from the tee, adrenaline kicked in and Fox just rolled into the fairway bunker over 300 yards away and although he hit a fine 3rd shot to 10 feet he missed his birdie and headed to the last needing a birdie to win outright or a par to force a playoff with Young.
A magnificent drive was followed by a shot from 170 yards to 12 feet and Fox took little time in converting the putt for birdie and the victory by one over Young and by two over Burns.
“Surreal, to be honest,” said Fox when asked his immediate reaction. “It’s something you dream of. I used to get up in the middle of the night to watch this tournament back home. It was always something that was there just to be able to play in it, first up, and now to be an Open champion, to be the Champion Golfer of the Year, it’s unbelievable, surreal, crazy. I don’t have enough words in my vocabulary to explain it, to be honest.
“We’ve got a great history in our family but I think the other great thing is I had no pressure on me to follow in any of their footsteps. I was lucky enough to carve my own path there and had support from both my grandfather early on and obviously Mom and Dad through the whole thing.”
When asked to describe the closing moments of his round and how well he had handled the tense situation Fox would say, “Yeah, definitely the first part. I mean, I hit two shots exactly how I wanted to hit them. I didn’t feel anything for the putt; everything was shaking that much. I was just happy to hit it somewhat near the hole, and to see it go in was incredible.
“I did say to my caddie, Dean, on the tee that we were going to take it on, that I was going to try to win the tournament, and I’d live with the consequences if I stuffed it up. To go out there and execute, that drive is not a very comfortable tee shot, obviously, and to hit it in the fairway and give myself a chance was huge.
“Then I landed on a good number. I think I had 160 metres to the hole. The breeze was a little down off the left. Obviously everything is a bit jammed up there, so it was just a solid 9, and I hit it exactly where I wanted to hit it. I think I screamed to it, “Please be good,” in the air, and it was.
“To cap it off with a putt — everyone practises on the green, I guess, you’ve got a putt to win a major championship, to win The Open. It’s not like that in real life. It’s not a very comfortable feeling. It’s certainly very enjoyable when you see it go in.”
When asked to describe how this moment stands at this stage of his career, Fox responded;
“When I turned pro, I mean, just to — I think the goal was just to get on a major tour, to be honest. I think I said to my team last night, you know, at dinner, if you’d have given me my career up till yesterday when I turned pro, I’d have jumped at that. I don’t know what to think now, to be honest.
“Yeah, it is something that’s always there. You dream of being a major champion. You want to do it whether you think it’s a reality or not. I guess I probably didn’t until the last couple of years. I wasn’t in the major championships consistently until the last couple of years.
“To be sitting in front of you guys now as the Champion Golfer of the Year is a bit crazy. As I said earlier, it’s surreal. I don’t have the vocabulary to explain it.”
Scottie Scheffler and Tommy Fleetwood tied for 4th at 7 under.
It proved to be a great week for Australasians with Lucas Herbert finishing in a share of 6th and Adam Scott’s last round of 66 sweeping him into a share of 9th place.
For Fox, however, the victory is life-changing. Now recognised as one of only three New Zealand males to win a major title (joining Sir Bob Charles and Michael Campbell), Fox will hold a special place in the sports-mad and proud nation.
Perhaps now, instead of being recognised as the son of All Black Grant, it will be a case of Grant being the ‘father of Ryan’.
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Percy shares second behind Kelly at Senior Open Championship
Jerry Kelly claims his 14th PGA Tour Champions title – image getty Images
Cameron Percy was unable to fully capitalise on his great week at the ISPSA Handa Senior Open Championship with a breakthrough PGA Tour Champions win, but, by sharing second place with Matt Gogel and Darren Fichardt behind the winner, Jerry Kelly, he has recorded his third runner-up finish and added another US$198,000 to his already substantial earnings in his career since turning 50.
The 52-year-old Victorian began the final day in a share of the lead with the eventual winner Kelly, but despite the significantly better conditions on day four, he dropped two shots early and fell four behind the lead by the turn.
The margin was reduced to three when Percy birdied the 10th, but Kelly would play mistake-free golf on the way home, and when he added a birdie at the last he had won by two.
Percy played the back nine in 34 to gain a share of second with Gogel and Fichardt, who had both produced impressive final rounds of 63 and 66 respectively.
Percy’s runner-up finish follows his last start 5th place at the Kaulig Championship, and surely that first win is now just a matter ot time.
Percy improves 6 places to 15th in the Charles Schwab Cup standings behind Steve Alker in 8th place and Scott Hend 11th with earnings in 2026 of US$728,000.
Alker was the next best of the Australasians in 14th place this week.
For 59-year-old Kelly, it was his 14th victory on the PGA Tour Champions, and he now boasts career earnings there of close to US$16 million.
Results
Percy keeps Senior Open hopes alive with powerful finish at Gleneagles
Cameron Percy (right) and Jerry Kelly shake hands as they look ahead to another battle tomorrow – image Getty Images
52-year-old Victorian, Cameron Percy, kept his hopes of a first PGA Tour Champions victory alive with a powerful finish to round three of the ISPS Handa Senior Open at the King’s Course at the Gleneagles Resort in the highlands of Perthshire in Scotland.
Like so many others, Percy was struggling on a brutal windy day after having had the 36-hole lead and was 4 over for the day through 14 holes of today’s round and had fallen two behind American Jerry Kelly, but staged a remarkable recovery to regain at least a share of the lead with American Jerry Kelly heading into tomorrow’s final round.
A birdie at the 16th was followed by an eagle at the last and the pair were tied at 8 under and three clear of the field.
Three shots ahead as the day began, Percy battled the blustery winds and made the turn at 2 over but was still three ahead of Kelly heading into the closing nine.
Kelly would, however, birdie three of his first four holes on the way home and took the lead as Percy dropped another shot to be two behind with four to play. Then came the birdie at the 16th, and although Kelly would birdie the last, Percy’s eagle would mean the pair would tee it up together once again in tomorrow’s final round.
Kelly owns 13 PGA Tour Champions titles while, for Percy, his first win has yet to come. Perhaps tomorrow could be the day.
Steve Allan at 1 under is in a share of 8th place while Steve Alker is the next best of the Australasians at 1 over and in a share of 18th.
“Very happy with the end,” said Percy. “Struggled all day. I couldn’t hit it. I couldn’t chip it. I couldn’t putt it. Misjudging wind and pretty much did everything wrong. So to finish birdie, par, eagles, was very nice. So I’m not out of it anymore. So that’s good.
“I was trying – normally into the wind, I could pinch it to get it to go through the wind, and I can’t do it this week. I had to take three extra clubs instead of two, and at least I got them on the green, which was nice. Took me a while to work that out, and then I misjudged the wind on the back nine, 12 and 13. 12th, I thought I hit a good drive and had to chip it out, basically.
“Winning the British Open, normal British Open would be incredible. But at my age and with these guys I’m playing with, to win a Senior British Open here would be pretty cool.”
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Cooper Moore out of US Junior but not without a fight
New Zealand’s Cooper Moore added to what has been a stunning week for New Zealand golf, making it to the semi-finals of the US Junior Championship in Pennsylvania before being beaten in a very tight encounter against American Noah Maclauhlan.
Earlier in the day, Moore had defeated his fellow New Zealander Ryan Xie in the quarter-final, leading all the way after a birdie at the first hole before holding off a determined Xie to win 2&1.
In the afternoon semi-final, Moore was always behind in his match against Virginian Maclauhlan, who, with five birdies in his first eight holes, led 3 up at the turn. Then came the fightback by the Christchurch golfer.
Moore birdied the 10th and 11th holes to trail by just one through 11 holes, but a birdie at the par 3 14th by Maclauhlan would prove pivotal as it left him 2 up with four to play. Although Moore reduced the margin to just one with two to play when Maclauchlan found the hazard at the 16th, he arrived at the 18th after both had birdied the 17th, needing to win the hole to take things to extra time.
Neither player gave themselves great birdie opportunities at the last and when Maclauchlan holed out from 4 feet for par, his one-up advantage had been maintained, and a place in the finals was his.
It had, however, been a close call for the winner and he knew it.
“Cooper gave a heck of a fight,” said Maclauchlan, who made nine birdies, four pars, four bogeys and a double bogey against Moore. “Gave me a lot of stress on the back nine. He kept on pouring [in] birdies, so we weren’t going to win holes unless the other one wasn’t making birdies.
“I’m just so proud of myself on the way I handled it and got out of there alive.”
Moore was understandably disappointed not to have made the final but pleased with the manner in which he played. “When I’ve come over this side (US) before, I’ve struggled with my game and never really competed, so to compete over here is cool, said the 18-year-old. “Yeah, it’s quite nice.”
Moore will play in the International Junior Presidents Cup side later this year.
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Grace Kim best of Australasians in Scotland
Grace Kim – in action today – image Ladies European Tour
It has not been a good week thus far for the numerically strong (11) Australasian contingent at the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open, Grace Kim in a share of 11th place doing best at the halfway stage, but 11 shots from the leader Jenny Shin of Korea.
Shin, though, leads by five after brilliant rounds of 66 and 67 in blustery conditions over the Dundonald Links Course at Gailes on the west coast of Scotland, Germany’s Esther Henseleit her nearest chaser at this stage.
After an opening round of 74, Kim was out in a remarkable 32, and although the strong winds slowed her progress on the closing nine, she put together an extremely good round in the conditions.
New Zealand’s Amelia Garvey and Queensland’s Robyn Choi are at 5 over and tied for 49th while Hannah Green was the only other of the Australasians to make the weekend when she finished on the cut line at 6 over par.
The surprise of the event so far has been Minjee Lee, who withdrew after an opening round of 85. It continues a horror run for the 30-year-old, who has not finished better than 28th in her last eight starts. No reason at this stage for the withdrawal.
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Cameron Percy extends lead in Senior Open Championship
Cameron Percy – in action this week – image Getty Images
Victorian Cameron Percy extended his one-shot day one lead in the ISPS Senior Open Championship at Gleneagles in Scotland, following up his opening round of 63 with a round of 68 on day two in windy conditions to now lead by three over American Jerry Kelly, with another two shots back to major champions Ernie Els and Henrik Stenson and Austria’s Markus Brier.
Percy, now into his third season on the PGA Tour Champions, has yet to win but recorded three runner-up finishes last year and in 2026 has been 3rd and 5th in recent starts and now opens up this opportunity not only to win for the first time but to win a senior major.
First prize in the US2.85 million event is US$447,000.
The 52-year-old, who played the PGA and Korn Ferry Tours earlier in his career, has won close to US$3 million in his time on the PGA Tour Champions, his long hitting (averaging 296 yards) proving to be valuable at this level.
Percy recovered from a slow start to his second round, bouncing back from dropped shots at his 5th and 8th holes to record four birdies to finish with a 2-under 68 and take the significant lead into the weekend at the King’s Course at the inland Gleneagles in Perthshire.
“I mean, yesterday I hit it everywhere I was looking, so it was pretty easy,” said Percy, referring to the difference between days one and two. ”Today it was way harder trying to judge how much the wind would hit stuff. I got it around okay. That was the difference, I think.
“Obviously I’m very happy. It’s such a hard golf course. You’ve got to concentrate on every single shot. There’s no easy holes or anything. You can lose your ball on every shot. That’s what I like. It keeps me tuned in, if that makes sense.”
Queensland’s Michael Wright is the next best of the Australasians in a share of 7th place after rounds of 66 and 72 while Steve Allan is in a share of 14th and Mark Hensby 16th.
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New Zealanders Xie and Moore to face off in US Junior Quarter Finals
Ryan Xie – during his round of 16 match today – image USGA Ishika Samant
New Zealanders Ryan Xie and Cooper Moore have advanced to the quarter-finals of the US Junior Championship being played at the Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Auckland’s Xie comfortably won his round of 64 match against China’s Jin Jan on Wednesday, then led all the way in his Thursday morning round of 32 match against Korea’s Minhyeok Yu before a birdie at the 17th saw him win 2&1, and has made it to the quarters with a 4&3 victory over Singaporean Troy Storm.
The journey has not been quite as smooth for Christchurch’s Moore, however. The former New Zealand amateur and Australian Junior Champion, needed 22 holes in his opening match against Canadian Landon Ashcroft before a birdie saw him home, then had an easier time against Korean Geon Kang where he won 4&3, but, in his round of 16 match against Canadian Lawson Dew, he needed to birdie the last to win 1 up.
That’s the good news for both, but unfortunately for one, the journey will end at the quarter-final stage as the pair face each other on Friday morning US time in a bid to reach the semi-finals.
“Yeah, it’ll be good fun,” said Moore referring to the matchup with Xie tomorrow. “Had good battles over the last few years, so, yeah, be nice to have sort of one more before he goes to college. I think he’s won two and I’ve won one, so…”
Xie finished runner-up at the 2026 Australian Junior Amateur while Moore, who won that event in 2025, finished 3rd.
Bracket
Cooper Moore in action today – image USGA
Can the down under success continue at the Senior Open Championship
Scott Hend has played well in senior majors this year. Can he break through for a major at this level? Image: PGA of America
Senior golf takes centre stage this week when the Senior Open Championship is played at the King’s Course at Gleneagles in Auchterarder in Scotland.
Following on from the magnificent victory by Ryan Fox at Royal Birkdale last week, Australasian golfers will be keen to keep the down under success going, and to potentially do so, 14 will face the starter on Thursday.
In alphabetical order, Steve Alker, Steve Allan, Stuart Appleby, Mark Brown, Michael Campbell, Greg Chalmers, Matthew Goggin, Richard Green, Scott Hend, Mark Hensby, Michael Long, Rod Pampling, Cameron Percy and Michael Wright all get their chance at the US$2.85 million purse and US$447,000 first prize.
Steve Alker has been well below his best in recent starts but plays an event in which he has recorded three top-tens in four starts, including a best of 3rd on debut at this venue in 2022, and so should be considered one of the best chances amongst the Australasians.
“Yeah, I love this place,” said Alker on Tuesday. “Just the countryside and the golf course itself, the shape. It’s in great shape. And you know, I was here four years ago, and it was my first Senior Open and I played well.
“I love the golf course, so it’s great to be back. My boy goes to school up in Stirling, just up the road, so it feels like home a little bit.
“It would be fantastic (to win). My wife is English. I’m kind of going after this one. This is one I’d really like to win. It’s just a matter of playing my game and trying to get in the zone, and as I said, I like the golf course, and it would be very special to win.”
Scott Hend has been one of the stars on the PGA Tour Champions and Europe’s Legends Tour in 2026 and did finish 4th in this event last year, albeit at a different venue. Hend has finished 2nd and 3rd in two of the three senior majors he has played in this season.
“Yeah, hopefully go a couple spots better than last year and play solid, said the Queenslander. “It’s always exciting to come play an R&A Championship, and we’ll see what happens.
“I’ve been playing nice. I had some issues where I had a driver break and then I had a driver stolen from my bag on my way over here from the States. Let’s see if we can still get around with hopefully the one driver I have doesn’t break because my back up was stolen in the back. Hard to get a golf club you can trust. Finally got a golf club I can trust with PING, and I was driving it good. So hopefully can keep that up.
“Yeah, obviously my next goal is to try and achieve a senior major at some point in time. To get any trophy would be great, and to get on this one would be good because then it will be at St Andrews (in the Open Championship) next year. That’s a nice little bonus that would be.”
Greg Chalmers, Richard Green, Steve Allan and Michael Wright also shape as possible contenders.
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New Zealanders Xie and Moore into matchplay at US Junior
Cooper Moore – struggles in round two but through to match play – image USGA
Two New Zealanders have made it into the matchplay phase of the US Junior Championship being played at the Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Auckland’s Ryan Xie, who has signed to become part of Santa Clara in California’s collegiate golf programme next season, finished in a share of 19th place following rounds of 72 and 70 and will rank in 20th place as the event heads into the knockout phase tomorrow.
Christchurch golfer, Cooper Moore, already a prolific winner of amateur titles in New Zealand and Australia, including the New Zealand Amateur and Australian Junior Championships and the Asia Pacific Junior Championship, and a professional event on New Zealand’s Charles Tour, finished in a share of 51st place but will rank in 53rd place for the match play encounters tomorrow.
Moore struggled on the more demanding Grace Course, one of two used in the 36-hole qualifying, and after an opening round of 68 over the Old Course, he could only manage 77 in round two and finished just inside the cut-off, where 14 players will tomorrow play for the final two places in the Round of 64.
One of those required to play off for a place in the knockout phase is Charlie Woods, the son of Tiger, who bounced back from an opening 76 with a round of 70, but he will need something special and a bit of luck if he is to make it through.
In the opening round of matchplay tomorrow, Xie will play China’s Jin Han, who qualified 45th, while Moore takes on Arizona’s Landon Ashcraft, who qualified in 12th place.
The only Australian in the field, Hamish Farquharson, missed out on advancing.
Match Play Brackets
Ryan Fox’s steely finish secures historic Open Championship victory
The reaction to his finest golfing moment says it all – Ryan Fox image courtesy of R&A via Getty Images
It is not only that New Zealander Ryan Fox won the Open Championship for just the second time for the New Zealand nation, but it is the manner in which he did so that will be the long-lasting memory of such an achievement.
His major record equalling round of 62 on Saturday to get him in position to challenge for the title and then bouncing back from two cruel and potentially costly blows late in his final round, especially with so much on the line, and win by hitting two of the most magnificent shots at the last will make an already historic memory even more endearing.
Fox took little time over what he described as a nervy 12-foot putt for birdie to take the title, and as he did so, he threw his arms in the air, almost struggling to believe what he had just achieved.
Fox’s caddy Dean Smith fell to his knees acknowledging just what this win would mean to him also, now and forever being known as the man who assisted Fox to such a remarkable and historic win.
Fox began the final round two shots behind his playing partner Sam Burns, but before he even began his round, it was clear on yet another day where low scoring was possible that there would be challenges from behind, and the first would come quickly.
Cameron Young began the day seven shots from Burns and five behind Fox, but by the time he reached the turn had had joined Fox at 8 under after an outward nine of 29 even before the final pairing of Fox and Burns had begun their rounds.
Fox made an encouraging start when he birdied the second from 15 feet, but Burns did the same, and the American still led by two. Then came the defining moment for Burns when he dropped shots at the 4th, 5th and 6th holes, and by the time the pair had made the turn, they were both at 8 under and trailing Si Woo Kim, who was out in 32.
Kim led at the turn by one over Young, who had finished his tournament at 9 under and more than two hours ahead of the final group despite his only bogey at the last.
Kim played his final nine holes in 40, however, and it was left to either Fox or Burns to force a playoff or win outright. Fox was first to blink when he missed a 7-foot par-saving out at the 11th, but he then birdied the 13th from 12 feet and the par 5 14th after a brilliant pitch from the left-hand greenside rough to 4 feet.
Fox was by then at 9 under and sharing the lead with Young, who continued to await his fate in the clubhouse before venturing out to warm up for a possible playoff.
Fox was doing his best to keep the occasion under control and hit a stunning shot at the par 3 15th, only for it to just catch the right edge of the front bunker and kick sharply left into a position where all he could do was play backwards. He was then left with around 40 yards to the pin for his third but hit another fine recovery to five feet and holed for an important bogey.
Another birdie would come at the next, however, when from the left-hand rough Fox hit his approach to 10 feet and when that was holed he had again joined Young at 9 under and in the lead.
The par 5 17th would surely be the hole to break the deadlock, especially given Fox’s power, but despite deciding to take an iron from the tee, adrenaline kicked in and Fox just rolled into the fairway bunker over 300 yards away and although he hit a fine 3rd shot to 10 feet he missed his birdie and headed to the last needing a birdie to win outright or a par to force a playoff with Young.
A magnificent drive was followed by a shot from 170 yards to 12 feet and Fox took little time in converting the putt for birdie and the victory by one over Young and by two over Burns.
“Surreal, to be honest,” said Fox when asked his immediate reaction. “It’s something you dream of. I used to get up in the middle of the night to watch this tournament back home. It was always something that was there just to be able to play in it, first up, and now to be an Open champion, to be the Champion Golfer of the Year, it’s unbelievable, surreal, crazy. I don’t have enough words in my vocabulary to explain it, to be honest.
“We’ve got a great history in our family but I think the other great thing is I had no pressure on me to follow in any of their footsteps. I was lucky enough to carve my own path there and had support from both my grandfather early on and obviously Mom and Dad through the whole thing.”
When asked to describe the closing moments of his round and how well he had handled the tense situation Fox would say, “Yeah, definitely the first part. I mean, I hit two shots exactly how I wanted to hit them. I didn’t feel anything for the putt; everything was shaking that much. I was just happy to hit it somewhat near the hole, and to see it go in was incredible.
“I did say to my caddie, Dean, on the tee that we were going to take it on, that I was going to try to win the tournament, and I’d live with the consequences if I stuffed it up. To go out there and execute, that drive is not a very comfortable tee shot, obviously, and to hit it in the fairway and give myself a chance was huge.
“Then I landed on a good number. I think I had 160 metres to the hole. The breeze was a little down off the left. Obviously everything is a bit jammed up there, so it was just a solid 9, and I hit it exactly where I wanted to hit it. I think I screamed to it, “Please be good,” in the air, and it was.
“To cap it off with a putt — everyone practises on the green, I guess, you’ve got a putt to win a major championship, to win The Open. It’s not like that in real life. It’s not a very comfortable feeling. It’s certainly very enjoyable when you see it go in.”
When asked to describe how this moment stands at this stage of his career, Fox responded;
“When I turned pro, I mean, just to — I think the goal was just to get on a major tour, to be honest. I think I said to my team last night, you know, at dinner, if you’d have given me my career up till yesterday when I turned pro, I’d have jumped at that. I don’t know what to think now, to be honest.
“Yeah, it is something that’s always there. You dream of being a major champion. You want to do it whether you think it’s a reality or not. I guess I probably didn’t until the last couple of years. I wasn’t in the major championships consistently until the last couple of years.
“To be sitting in front of you guys now as the Champion Golfer of the Year is a bit crazy. As I said earlier, it’s surreal. I don’t have the vocabulary to explain it.”
Scottie Scheffler and Tommy Fleetwood tied for 4th at 7 under.
It proved to be a great week for Australasians with Lucas Herbert finishing in a share of 6th and Adam Scott’s last round of 66 sweeping him into a share of 9th place.
For Fox, however, the victory is life-changing. Now recognised as one of only three New Zealand males to win a major title (joining Sir Bob Charles and Michael Campbell), Fox will hold a special place in the sports-mad and proud nation.
Perhaps now, instead of being recognised as the son of All Black Grant, it will be a case of Grant being the ‘father of Ryan’.
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Sam Burns’ lack of expectation working in is favour
Sam Burns on his way to a record-equaling round of 62 today – image R&A via Getty
American Sam Burns grabbed the third-round lead at the Open Championship, his round of 65 today coming on top of his record-equaling 62 yesterday and moving him past the then-leader, New Zealander Ryan Fox, and Australian Lucas Herbert, and eventually, as Herbert dropped shots late, taking a two-shot lead into tomorrow’s final round at Royal Birkdale.
Si Woo Kim, who was playing in the group ahead of Burns, finished at 8 under after his round of 67 to join New Zealand’s Ryan Fox in a share of second place, Fox finishing five hours earlier with his stunning round of 62 to take the lead at that point with Herbert.
Herbert, who had moved into the lead at 9 under with an outward nine of 33, bogeyed the 15th and 16th holes and was unable to capitalise on the reachable par 5 17th after taking a penalty drop. Although he saved his par, he remained at 7 under and is now three from the lead and in a share of 4th place with American Ryan Gerrard.
29-year-old Burns, whose form in recent weeks has included a runner-up finish at the US Open, is a four-time PGA Tour winner and long considered a future major winner. In five previous appearances at the Open Championship, he has failed to record a top 30 finish, however, so this week’s performance is a turnaround in his mindset and suggested his efforts thus far might well have been attributable to the distractions and lack of expectations he carried due to a family occasion.
“I think I’ve said this to someone earlier: this golf tournament was honestly so far off of my radar and expectations of playing,” said Burns. “I mean, Caroline’s due date was Tuesday this week. She was like four days late with our son. I just didn’t think there was any possible way, and little Belle had different plans for us.
“Even after she was born, after a couple of days, I wasn’t thinking much about it. Caroline was kind of like, so what are you thinking for next week? I was like, I don’t know. Should we talk about it? She was like, yeah.
“Ultimately, she’s the one who really encouraged me to come over and play. She basically said I’ve got this at home. Go over there and give it your best, and here we are.”
By the turn and despite a bogey at the 9th, Burns was at 8 under par and had joined Fox, Herbert and Si Woo Kim in the lead at 8 under, but bogeys at the 14th and 17th moved him two clear, and, tomorrow, he and Ryan Fox will tee it up at 2.20 pm in the final group as both chase their first major championship.
If scoring this week has been any indication, however, close to twenty golfers probably feel they are just one very low round away from contending and possibly winning, so tomorrow poses plenty of scenarios.
Only one golfer (Bryson DeChambeau) inside the top ten at present has been a previous major championship winner, so the manner in which the leaders handle what could well be their greatest moment in the game will tell the story as to who is holding the Claret Jug at day’s end.
DeChambeau’s round came under even greater scrutiny than normal as a result of the controversial two shot penalty applied to his second round but, although he made a shaky start with a bogey at the first, he fought back late in the day for a round of 69 and, just four shots from Burns and just two shots out of second place, he retains the chance of what would be an undoubtedly satisfying win for him.
The two-shot penalty DeChambeau received might well be the difference between winning and losing, and adding a third major championship to his two US Open Championship titles. Interestingly and cleverly, Burns deflected any concerns about the environment he played in today while partnered with DeChambeau.
“I thought the fans were very supportive of Bryson today,” added the leader. “We didn’t discuss it any.
“In my personal opinion, I honestly feel bad for Bryson in the situation that he was in. From my perspective, I didn’t feel like maybe there was enough evidence for him to deserve a penalty there.
“I feel bad for him. I think he played an incredible round of golf late yesterday, and it’s unfortunate to have something kind of like that where they come in after your round and tell you you’re being docked two shots.
“But props to him. He came out and played a really nice round of golf today, and that takes a lot of grit to be able to come out and do that. So I was impressed.”
New Zealand’s Kazuma Kobori is tied for 11th at 4 under par along with, amongst others, Australian Open Championship debutante Cameron John.
Adam Scott is in 38th place and Min Woo Lee 64th.
Leaderboard