BMW PGA Championship: Ryan Fox adds sand wedge to Wentworth Club hall of fame as he prepares to defend title

Ryan Fox (left) presents a sand wedge to Wentworth Club club manager Stuart Boyle. The club will sit in the Hall of Fame with clubs of other past winners. Photo / Getty Images

In the halls of Surrey’s Wentworth Club, there is a wall dedicated to history.

Since the course first hosted the World Match Play Championship in 1964, winners of professional events played there have donated a club from their winning tournament to be enshrined in its Hall of Fame.

Ryan Fox‘s sand wedge now hangs among them.

“Cambo [Michael Campbell] has a club up there from the World Match Play in 2005 as well. So, it was cool to have another bit of Kiwi history up on that wall today.”

It was the club Fox used to hit a beautiful approach shot and set up a tournament-winning par on 18 in last year’s BMW PGA Championship, completing a successful final-round charge after trailing by two shots before teeing off.

As he heads back into the tournament this week as defending champion, Fox admitted he was still trying to work out what happened in the tournament last year.

“It was an almost out-of-body experience on the back nine on the Sunday,” he said.

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“It’s probably the best nine holes of golf I’ve ever played in my life and it was a pretty good time to do it.

“I would love to bring those same feelings out this week, but regardless, it’s pretty cool to come back to such an iconic event like this with my name on the trophy and all the other cool stuff that goes with it.”

Fox will tee off as part of the marquee group when play gets under way on Thursday night (NZT), playing alongside Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose in the opening two rounds of the tournament. He won last year’s tournament with a total score of -18 and expected the winner would need to post a similar score this week.

The Kiwi goes into Wentworth after missing the cut last week at the Irish Open, which was his first tournament in about a month after taking a break at the end of the PGA Tour’s regular season.

At Royal County Down Golf Club in Northern Ireland, Fox struck the ball well but struggled on the greens and ultimately missed the cut by one stroke. Fellow Kiwi Daniel Hillier also missed the cut by one stroke, while Sam Jones made the cut but finished in a tie for 66th.

Hillier will also feature at this week’s tournament in Surrey, playing alongside German Yannik Paul and Jordan Smtih of England in the opening rounds.

Fox said there was a certain pressure that came with being the defending champion, but that was something that came with the territory.

“It’s what you expect when you’re the defending champion and there will certainly be a few extra nerves out on the golf course over those first couple of days,” he said.

“But it’s a pretty amazing atmosphere inside the ropes and I can look at it, regardless of everything, they can’t take my name off the trophy from last year.

“I certainly earned the right to play with those guys this year and I’m going to go out and enjoy being a part of that – or try to enjoy it as much as possible.”

Tee times for rounds one and two

Ryan Fox: 7.45pm Thursday and 11.25pm Friday, playing alongside Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) and Justin Rose (England)

Daniel Hillier: 6.50pm Thursday and 10.30pm Friday, playing alongside Yannik Paul (Germany) and Jordan Smith (England)

Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.