Ryan Fox celebrates after winning the RBC Canadian Open. Photo / AFP
Ryan Fox celebrates after winning the RBC Canadian Open. Photo / AFP
Standing at Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania this morning, Ryan Fox found himself trying to figure out what had just gone on.
It’s been a whirlwind 24 hours for the Kiwi golfer, who claimed his second title on the PGA Tour in the space of a month yesterday atthe RBC Canadian Open.
It made him the first New Zealander since Sir Bob Charles in 1963 to win two events in the same season on golf’s top tour, and also earned him a place in the US Open at Oakmont this week.
For Fox, it was an emotional rollercoaster; one with plenty of corkscrews and loops.
“My nerves are a bit fried after the whole scenario,” he told the Herald.
Ending the third round tied for the lead, he was already chasing again when he began his final round – then sent his opening tee shot into the bushes.
He scrambled well to get through the front nine at one-under-par, before getting within one shot of American Sam Burns, who shot a round of eight-under to take the clubhouse lead at 18-under, with back-to-back birdies on the 14th and 15th.
Ryan Fox won the RBC Canadian Open after four playoff holes. Photo / Getty Images
He missed a great opportunity for birdie on 17, before catching the right side of the cup to make a tough birdie on 18 and force a playoff.
Another poor tee shot on the first playoff hole, and it was advantage Burns. But Fox kept scrambling and, eventually, claimed the title in the fourth playoff hole thanks to what he calls the best shot of his career so far – a perfect three-wood from 237m out landing about 2m from the hole for an eagle putt. Burns could only make a three-putt par, while Fox scored a tap-in birdie for the win.
“I thought I’d lost it there on that first playoff hole, and Sam gave me a reprieve,” Fox said.
“There were a lot of emotions going on in those last few holes.
“Just giving myself a chance to start with, and then being a little p***ed off on 17, missing that putt, and then all of a sudden having a chance again and then feeling like I lost it in the playoffs. Then all of a sudden, I won.”
It’s a win that changes everything for the 38-year-old.
Even after his win at Myrtle Beach in May, a few things were still in the air around scheduling through the back end of the season. However, the win in Toronto saw Fox shoot up to No 25 in the FedEx Cup (PGA Tour) rankings and No 32 in the world rankings and he looks set to feature in the PGA Tour playoffs later in the year.
Ryan Fox reacts after leaving his putt to win short on the second playoff hole in the RBC Canadian Open. Photo / AFP
He has also secured entry into next week’s limited field Travelers Championship and a place in the Masters next year.
“Things have changed a lot in a month, that’s for sure. I can plan a schedule properly now. There’s no ‘what’s going on?’, you know.
“I’m in the Travelers next week now for sure, obviously in the US Open this week, and looking fairly good for the back end of the season now.
“I can take a couple of weeks off before the Scottish Open and recharge and get ready for a big push at the end of the year.
“We always say on tour that good golf fixes most things, and it’s certainly done that with schedule and security and everything like that for me this last month.
“Hopefully I can keep riding the wave, but I feel like Oakmont’s probably going to put me back in my place pretty quickly this week. It’s a brute.”
Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.
