Ryan Fox's Open Championship win arrived with the cleanest possible finish: a birdie on the 72nd hole at Royal Birkdale. The New Zealander beat Cameron Young by one shot and turned a record-chasing weekend into his first major title.
Key points
- The Open reported Fox birdied the 18th hole to become Champion Golfer of the Year.
- Fox beat Cameron Young by one shot at Royal Birkdale.
- The Open reported Fox had matched the major record with a third-round 62.
The winning shot came before a playoff
The Open reported that Ryan Fox reached Royal Birkdale's 18th hole tied with Cameron Young, who was waiting for a possible playoff. Fox then found the fairway, hit his approach inside the green and made the birdie putt that decided the championship.
The official report said Fox beat Young by one shot and became Champion Golfer of the Year. It was Fox's first major title and his first top-10 finish in a major.
A Saturday 62 changed the route
Fox had entered the weekend at level par after rounds of 72 and 68. The Open reported that his third-round 62 matched the lowest round in men's major history and moved him into the final group.
That context makes Sunday more than a closing flourish. Fox had to convert a record round into a major-winning round, then do it on an 18th hole that The Open described as the toughest on the course for the week.
Boda8 analysis
Analysis: Fox's finish stands out because he played to win before the playoff became unavoidable. On a difficult closing hole, the conservative target was a safe par and a chance to continue. Fox chose a line that could end the tournament.
That decision separates a hot week from a major breakthrough. The 62 put him in position, but the final-hole birdie changed his career.
Sources reviewed
- 01The OpenRyan Fox caps brilliant Open Sunday to lift Claret Jug19 Jul 2026
- 02Associated PressRyan Fox wins the British Open with a birdie on the final hole20 Jul 2026