Ryan Fox claims his maiden major title as birdie at the last seals Open triumph

New Zealander Ryan Fox kept his head while all around him were losing theirs to make his major breakthrough at the age of 39 with a brilliant birdie at the last for a one-shot victory at The Open.

He was one of only three players in the final 12 groups to shoot under par on a chaotic final day when Royal Birkdale finally showed its teeth after two days of record-equalling rounds of 62.

After Cameron Young posted the nine-under target following a best-of-the-day 64 a couple of hours earlier, double figures was the aim for those out on the course.

https://x.com/TheOpen/status/2078896391678554468?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Fox headed down the last – Birkdale’s most difficult hole – needing a birdie to overtake the American, for so long the PGA Tour’s perennial runner-up, and hit his approach inside 12 feet.

The son of All Blacks fly-half Grant held his nerve, as he had done all day and punched the air as he became New Zealand’s second Open champion after Sir Bob Charles in 1963.

Fox started at eight under, two behind, and was never more than one better or one worse all day until delivering the coup de grace at the last – only the fifth birdie on the hole all day – showing a level of composure lacking by some of his rivals.

Playing partner and overnight leader Sam Burns got to 11 under after three holes but dropped three strokes, Si Woo Kim gave back four from 10 under while defending champion Scottie Scheffler and home favourite Tommy Fleetwood both threatened before coming up three short.

A pivotal hole for Fox was the 241-yard par-three 15th when an unlucky bounce left him with an almost unplayable lie under the lip of a bunker.

With very little fuss, in keeping with his no-nonsense approach, he took his medicine, splashed out