In a moment of high drama at Royal Birkdale on Sunday, 39-year-old New Zealand golfer Ryan Fox etched his name into golfing history, clinching the 154th British Open with a clutch birdie on the 18th hole to claim his first career major championship at 10 under par.
Ranked 56th in the world entering the tournament, Fox’s road to the Claret Jug was far from straightforward. After opening the first two rounds at level par, he sat in 52nd place and far outside most experts’ predictions of a winner. But a stunning Saturday round saw the Kiwi tie the all-time record for the lowest single-round score in men’s major championships, carding a 62 that catapulted him into contention heading into the final round.
As overnight leader Sam Burns of the U.S. and other top contenders collapsed under the intense pressure of championship Sunday, Fox stayed steady. He notched birdies on holes 13, 14, 16, and the decisive 18th, holding off a late charge from American Cameron Young to secure a one-stroke victory — the biggest win of his professional career by a wide margin.
“I don’t really know what to think at the moment,” Fox told reporters immediately after his win. “I spoke to my kids last night and they said ‘bring back a trophy’. I think this is a pretty cool one to bring back for them.”
Fox makes history as just the third New Zealander ever to win a men’s major championship, following Bob Charles’ 1964 British Open victory and Michael Campbell’s 2005 U.S. Open win. The son of former All Blacks rugby international Grant Fox, Fox’s underdog run capped a day defined by collapsing frontrunners and last-minute twists.
Overnight leader Sam Burns held a two-shot advantage heading into Sunday, but three consecutive bogeys on holes four through six erased his lead early, and he ultimately finished third at eight under par, falling short of his first major title. South Korea’s Kim Si-woo climbed within striking distance of his own first major with nine holes remaining, but imploded on the back nine with a four-over-par finish that knocked him out of contention.
Cameron Young, who began the day seven shots off the lead after a four-over back nine on Saturday, mounted a stunning late charge that nearly stole the title. The world number four shot a 29 on the front nine to climb into contention, carded additional birdies on the par-fives 14 and 17 to reach 10 under par alongside Fox heading into the final hole. But a wayward tee shot landed Young in a sand trap, and his second shot crashed into the bunker face, resulting in a costly bogey that left him one shot short of the playoff spot.
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler, the world’s top-ranked golfer, also mounted a early comeback charge but ultimately fell short, finishing tied for fourth at seven under par. Scheffler cut his six-shot opening deficit in half with three birdies in his first five holes, but bogeys on 13, 15, and 18 kept him from adding a fifth major title to his career in 2026.
Local favorite Tommy Fleetwood joined Scheffler in a tie for fourth, briefly giving British fans hopes of ending the country’s 34-year wait for a homegrown British Open champion. The world number nine climbed to within one shot of the lead after shooting three under par through eight holes, but three consecutive bogeys pushed him back before a late birdie-birdie finish lifted him into the top four.
Former major winner Rory McIlroy never mounted a serious contention for his seventh major title, finishing the tournament at one under par after a final-round 71. “Any time I got a little bit of momentum out there, I seemed to make a bogey,” said the world number two. “Just one of those weeks I couldn’t get it going.” American Bryson DeChambeau, who received a two-shot penalty after his second round on Friday, finished at four under par, with the penalty ultimately not affecting the final championship outcome.