Ryan Fox continues hot start run on PGA Tour

Ryan Fox watches his tee shot on the 11th hole during the first round of the Charles Schwab Challenge golf tournament at the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. Photo / AP

Ryan Fox has continued his run of strong starts on the PGA Tour.

Fox carded a three-under par 67 during the first round of the PGA Tour’s Charles Schwab Challenge in Texas to sit in a seventh with 14 other players including the likes of world number one Scottie Scheffler and Max Homa. England’s Harry Hall leads after an eight-under 62.

Out on the course early, Fox had three birdies on the back nine after starting on the 10th hole. He dropped a shot with his only bogey at the par four third before a fourth birdie of the day at the sixth.

Earlier this week Fox is backing up from a T-23rd at the PGA Championship at Oak Hills which secured special temporary membership on the PGA Tour for the rest of the season. A strong showing this weekend would help lock-in a tour card for 2024.

He can now secure full status on the PGA Tour for the 2024 season if he earns as many, or more, non-member FedEx Cup points as the 125th placed player in the final 2022-23 FedEx Cup standings and Eligibility Points List. Before this week, he’s sitting around the 123rd mark.

At the Senior PGA Championship, also in Texas, Steven Alker has completed a two-under par 70 as the best of the three New Zealanders, leaving him six strokes off the pace set by Padraig Harrington. Michael Long (four-over) and Michael Campbell (five-over) have work to do to make the cut.

In the Netherlands, Daniel Hillier has carded a two-under par 70 to sit tied for 32nd after the opening round of the latest European Tour event - he’s seven strokes shy of the lead.