The Kiwi emerged victorious in South Carolina. Video / Sky Sport
Ryan Fox is a PGA Tour winner.
Finishing the Myrtle Beach Classic at 15-under and in a three-way playoff to decide the tournament in South Carolina, Fox chipped in from the edge of the green - about 54ft (16m) from the hole - to secure his first win on the tour, a $1.2 million pay day, his tour card for the next two years and an invitation to next week’s major, the PGA Championship.
“I played all of them [majors] in the last two years and I was pretty gutted to miss the Masters this year. There was one spot going this week and the only way to get it was to win, so I’m chuffed with that,” Fox said.
“It changes the plans a little bit. I might have a little bit of a hangover tomorrow driving to Quail [Hollow, North Carolina], but that’s all good. I can live with that.”
He got the job done having left himself plenty of work to do.
In a playoff against Mackenzie Hughes and Harry Higgs, Fox started the 18th hole for the fifth time with a drive that went a shade too far to the left and sat in the rough to leave him plenty of work to do.
Hughes sprayed his drive further left, but got an incredibly fortunate kick off the trees to land on the fairway, while Higgs laced his drive down the middle.
Fox put his second shot off the edge of the back of the green, but his chip looked good as soon as it left his club.
Fox watched it all the way, throwing his arm up in celebration as the ball fell into the cup.
That put the pressure on Higgs and Hughes, who both missed putts for birdie to hand Fox the title. It’s the first time a Kiwi has won on the PGA Tour since 2015, when Danny Lee won the Greenbrier Classic.
“Honestly, I had a pretty similar line in regulation. I knew it didn’t really break much - I felt like I had two pretty good shots to get there, to be honest. I don’t think the drive quite deserved where it ended up – but it was just hit it down the slope," he said of his chip to win it.
“Both those guys had makeable chances so I knew I had to give it a go. When it landed and thought this has got a chance, then about six or eight foot out, I thought it was in. I don’t really know what to think right now.”
It was a return to form at a venue that Fox has excelled at on the PGA Tour. Last year’s tournament in Myrtle Beach was the catalyst in his turning his year around as he bagged a T4 finish at 15-under-par.
Early indications were that Fox would again be a contender when it came to the final day as he set the tone with a six-under-par opening round – getting around without dropping a shot.
Mixing form through his second and third rounds – the latter featuring six bogeys and nine birdies – Fox went into the final round in a tie for fourth and three shots off the lead.
Ryan Fox of New Zealand celebrates with the trophy after winning the Myrtle Beach Classic in a playoff. Photo / AFP
Ryan Fox reacts after chipping in on the 18th green. Photo / Jonathan Bachman / Getty Images via AFP
Chasing his first PGA Tour title, Fox was one-under through nine holes, still three shots back and in a share of ninth.
His charge towards the top of the leaderboard began when he drove the green at the par-four 10th and his attempt at eagle pulled up just short of the hole, though the birdie moved him one shot closer.
He picked up another shot at the par-five 13th to move two off the lead, which quickly became just one back when co-leaders Harry Higgs and Mackenzie Hughes both bogeyed the same hole.
That left a three-way tie at 14-under between Higgs, Hughes and Kevin Yu. Fox joined them with a birdie on the par five 15th, before he, Hughes and Higgs moved to 15-under soon after – Fox confidently sinking a seven-foot putt on the par-three 17th.
Spraying his tee shot on 18 into the right rough, Fox did well to scramble for par to finish five-under for the day, leaving a nervous wait as Hughes had pulled a shot ahead.
That left a nervous wait for the Kiwi with Higgs (-15) and Hughes (-16) still to play 18, but after Hughes put his tee shot into the trees to the left, things started to look up for Fox.
It went how he needed it to; Higgs with a par and Hughes with a bogey to force a three-way playoff.
That gave Fox his opportunity, and true to his form from the week, he rode the rollercoaster to the win.
“It’s been a tough couple of seasons out here. I just kept my card last year, [and] haven’t had a great start this year so far. I always felt like my game was good enough to compete with the best in the world and I got to show it a bit today.
“Hopefully, it kickstarts things for the rest of the year for me.”
Kiwis who have won on the PGA Tour
Ryan Fox becomes the ninth New Zealander to win on the PGA Tour. Sir Bob Charles is the only Kiwi to win multiple titles on the tour, with six victories.
