The Open: Ryan Fox pip Cameron Young and Sam Burns for first major after final-round thriller at Royal Birkdale | golf news

Ryan Fox claimed a first major title after a final-hole birdie snatched a dramatic one-shot victory over Cameron Young at the 154th Open.

Fox tied for the lowest round in men’s major history with a third-round 62, then came through a roller-coaster Sunday in front of a crowded leaderboard.

The New Zealander started two strokes behind Sam Barnes but reached a 72nd tie for the lead with Young, who overturned a seven-shot deficit on the final day to set the clubhouse target at nine under.

Young waited almost two and a half hours to see if his final round 64 was enough to win, only for Fox to fire his approach to 12 feet on the par-four 18th and convert the birdie to complete a remarkable win.

Round leader Burns finished two strokes off third after a final-round 72, with home favorite Tommy Fleetwood a further shot off world number one Scotty Scheffler in fourth.

How Fox Dreamed Big Wins

Nine of the top 10 were chasing a first major title earlier in the day, but it was Young – starting tied-20th – who moved into contention when he followed up with a front-nine 29 by birdying both par-fives after the turn.

Young ultimately failed to get up and down to save par but saw his clubhouse target score remain at nine under, Burns saw his overnight lead slip when he carded three consecutive bogeys at the fourth followed by a birdie at the second.

Si Woo Kim – in the penultimate group – also got to 10 under and briefly topped the leaderboard after a front-nine 32, only for the Korean to bogey four of his last eight holes and stumble to a final-round 70.

Fox got off to a positive start by holing from 15 feet to match Barnes’ birdie on the second but fell over-par for the day with bogeys at the ninth and 11th, then responded by posting back-to-back birdies at the 13th to join Young on nine under.

He failed to get up and down the sand to save par at the 15th but converted to pull level again from 10 feet, with Scheffler leading by one. He followed with steady gains from the 16th until he bogeyed his final hole.

Fox failed to take advantage on the par-five 17th but eventually made history, his closing birdie celebrating wildly on the final green and joining Bob Charles and Michael Campbell as New Zealand’s only men’s major champions.

Burns made pars in his last 13 holes to fail to hide a 54-hole lead for the second consecutive season, 13 months after last month’s US Open, when Fleetwood claimed a tie-fourth after finishing birdie-birdie in his final round 68.

Kim shared sixth place with Casey Jarvis and Lucas Herbert, who equaled major history with 62 in the second round on Friday, while Bryson DeChambeau finished six back at 14 and Rory McIlroy finished nine strokes after a one-over 71.

Fox enjoys ‘unbelievable’ big win

“It’s unbelievable, to be honest,” Fox said. “I still don’t know what to think. My nerves are all over the place. I’m not sure how I hit 18.

“It’s a dream come true. Looking at the trophy now, it’s the first time I’ve seen it up close, so it’s a dream come true. I was really happy. I said to my caddy six or eight holes in: ‘I feel better than I thought I would now’.”

On his putt on the 18th, Fox added: “Everything was shaking. I’m not sure how I hit it straight. As soon as I saw it track down the left fairway, I thought: ‘That’s got a chance!’

“I was happy that it was the right pace and I wasn’t going to come back at all. I don’t really know what I was thinking at the time. I couldn’t really believe it. That putt is a lot easier to hit on a practice green than in real life.”

Fox ‘wasn’t afraid to lose’

Dame Laura Davies of Sky Sports: “He (Fox) was aggressive, I don’t think he was afraid of losing it. If he lost it because he hit a shot that didn’t work he was ready to stay aggressive and I strongly believe that’s why he did it.

“He hit the iron every time, but when there was an opportunity, a birdie sniff, the driver was out, fully committed. The way he played 18, I don’t think you could have drawn it better. He would hit two of the best shots of his life just to give himself a chance to hit that green.”

Sky Sports’ Andrew Coulter: “I’ve never seen anyone push as hard as tape to win a major championship late in the tournament.

“Even at a place like this. It was fantastic. I think yesterday’s 62 helped reinforce his belief in his ability there. Another record-breaking score. While they all struggled with the pressure, Fox stood tall.”

What next?

The next PGA Tour event is the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities in Minnesota, starting on Thursday, before switching to Sky Sports Golf on Sky Sports+ starting at 7pm.

The 3M Open is part of a golf triple-header live on Sky Sports, with the ISPS Handa Senior Open and ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open also live. The women’s major season concludes with the AIG Women’s Open from 30 July-2 August, also live on Sky Sports Golf. Get Sky Sports or Flow without any contract.

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