Golf star Ryan Fox tees off during The Fox golf and fishing tournament in Waihī Beach over the weekend. Photo / Jamie Troughton, Dscribe Media
Even as top Kiwi golfer Ryan Fox was helping raise funds for two Waihī Beach charities over the weekend, the charities themselves were out saving lives.
The sixth running of The Fox, presented by Shimano Fishing New Zealand, raised a record $60,800 for the Waihī Beach Surf Lifesaving Club and the Waihī Beach Coastguard, with 25 teams spending a day fishing on Sunday and a day playing golf on Monday.
What really made things meaningful for the world No 38-ranked golfer and two-time PGA Tour winner in 2025 was seeing the emergency services in action, putting those charity dollars to the best use imaginable.
As the tournament was kicking off on Saturday night at the surf club, veteran Waihī Beach lifeguard Christiaan Maarhuis was saving a young girl’s life while out training in the waves.
And during the fishing on Sunday, the new Gallagher Rescue patrol boat – partially funded by the tournament – made two emergency calls to help boaties in trouble.
“I spend a lot of time in Waihī Beach and Mum and Dad still have a place down here and they’re both charities you hope you never have to use, but you’ve only got to look at what happened over the weekend,” Fox said.
“A young kid’s life was saved just as we were starting the function, then the Coastguard was out helping boaties while we were fishing on Sunday. It’s great to know someone has your back when you’re out there on the water and we’re proud to have been able to make a difference over the past six years. The tournament itself is a lot of fun but I’m really proud that we’re also looking after two great causes that legitimately save lives.”
Maarhuis was heading out for a ski paddle at about 6.45pm when he noticed two young swimmers struggling and being pulled out to sea in the half-metre swells, with the leash of a boogie board wrapped around the young girl’s neck while her older brother tried to help.
Maarhuis immediately swam over to the siblings, held the panicked young girl afloat, and removed the leash from her neck.
While Maarhuis assisted the girl back through the waves on her board and back to the beach, an ex-Karioitahi lifeguard swam out with fins to help her brother in.
“It was a very close call for both of those kids,” Maarhuis said, after reuniting both children with their anxious mum.
“They got dragged out very quickly and were in pretty serious trouble by the time I got to them.”
Fox was on hand to congratulate Maarhuis soon after.
The Waihī Beach Surf Lifesaving Club has used the funds to help support an after-hours call-out squad – which Maarhuis is involved in – while a new satellite base at Bowentown is also being built and fitted out with support from The Fox.
Coastguard, meanwhile, launched the Gallagher Rescue, a specialist 10m Fantom RV1000 boat, with proceeds from The Fox helping to get the boat on the water almost 12 months earlier than planned.
This year’s tournament again featured a number of sporting celebrities, including All Blacks wing Caleb Clarke, former All Blacks Mils Muliaina and Grant Fox (father of Ryan Fox), former Black Caps bowler Neil Wagner, Waihī Olympic gymnast Dylan Schmidt, rowing legend Eric Murray, fishing personality Matt Watson and Bay of Plenty rugby stars Naitoa Ah Kuoi and Kurt Eklund.
Muliaina showed his fishing prowess by taking a prize for hauling in one of the largest trevally of the day, while the fishing competition was also highlighted by the first-ever game fish caught during The Fox, a 93.2kg striped marlin caught by Matamata truck driver Jared Radovancich, a last-minute addition to the tournament after test-driving a car with tournament sponsor Kia.
“I reckon I’ll be smiling like this for the next year – what a day, what a day!” a jubilant Radovancich said.
Event director, Sports Inc’s Kelsen Butler, said the Saturday night rescue, the marlin catch and the stunning Waihī Beach weather had turned it into one of the most memorable editions of the tournament yet, while the support from the local community and the teams involved just continues to grow.
“Everything seemed to align this time around, especially coming on the back of Foxy’s extraordinary PGA Tour breakthrough year,” Butler said.
“It’s amazing that he continues to make time for this tournament but when he sees first-hand what a difference it makes in a community he loves, it’s one of those feel-good stories. It’s also really heartwarming to see so many businesses and supporters from around New Zealand and further afield come together to raise much-needed funds.”
The Fox has now raised $275,000 for the two charities over the six years it has been running.
This year’s winning team were the Sandicappers, comprised of United States vistor Sandi Young alongside Clarke, Wagner, Phil Gaze and Steve Hathaway.
– Supplied copy by Jamie Troughton, Dscribe Media Services