New Zealand’s Ryan Fox captured his first career major title and Champion Golfer of the Year honors on Sunday, carding a final-round 68 to win the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. Fox finished at 10-under par with a total score of 270, edging out American Cameron Young by a single stroke in a tense final-group showdown.
The Claret Jug was ultimately decided on the notoriously difficult 18th hole. Tied for the lead, Fox delivered a clutch performance by sinking a 12-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole, cementing the victory after birdying four of his last six holes to overcome Young’s impressive final-round 64.
The victory brings a substantial payday for the 39-year-old New Zealander. Fox will take home a $3.2 million top prize from the $17.75 million Open Championship purse. Young and third-place finisher Sam Burns, who ended the tournament at 8-under par, also secured seven-figure payouts for their podium finishes.
Fox’s triumph at Royal Birkdale will go down as one of the most remarkable weekend surges in major championship history. The New Zealander executed a historic comeback, bouncing back from a tie for 85th place after Round 1 and tying the Open Championship record for the lowest final 36 holes with 130 strokes.
He shattered previous major comeback benchmarks to secure the title this weekend:
- Overcame a tie for 85th after Thursday, breaking Mark O’Meara’s 1998 record for the lowest Round 1 position by an eventual champion.
- Survived the cutline to sit tied for 52nd after Friday, surpassing David Duval’s 2001 record for the lowest Round 2 position.
- Fired a combined 130 over the weekend to completely erase the deficit.
For Young, the result marks a bitter pill, serving as his second runner-up finish in five Open Championship appearances. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler mounted a strong title defense throughout the afternoon but ultimately fell short, finishing tied for fourth.