Ed Carruthers
Digital Sports Journalist
Who is The Open champion Ryan Fox? Meet the New Zealander whose dad played for the All Blacks and was Shane Warne's 'great mate'
Ryan Fox putted out for birdie on the 18th hole on Sunday to win his first major at The Open by one shot; his dad played for the All Blacks and his grandad played cricket for New Zealand; watch the first round of the 3M Open live from Thursday on Sky Sports Golf
Last Updated: 21/07/26 7:05am
Ryan Fox cut an emotional figure as he sat on a sofa inside the players' compound at Royal Birkdale.
He had just sunk an 11ft putt on the 18th, the toughest hole of the week, to card a birdie to win The Open.
Remarkable doesn't cut it.
- The Open: Final leaderboard from Royal Birkdale
- 'My hands were shaking!' Fox reflects on Open win
- Open recap: Final round as it happened!
- Get Sky Sports or stream golf with no contract
Back home in New Zealand, fans stayed up all night eagerly watching Fox, the son of one of the country's greatest All Blacks and the grandson of a former New Zealand cricket captain, become only the second Kiwi to hoist the Claret Jug.
The 39-year-old, widely regarded as one of the most humble and self-effacing players on the PGA Tour, said his whole body was shaking at the enormity of the shot, but his cool and composed demeanour shone through.
A testament to his no-nonsense pace of play, it only took 22 seconds for Fox to rattle in a putt that would win him his first major title after his playing partner Sam Burns had wrapped up his round at Royal Birkdale.
Afterwards, a heartwarming moment unfolded backstage. Fox video-called his wife, Anneke, children, Isobel and Margot, and his dad, Grant, wiping the tears from his eyes as he celebrated his extraordinary achievement.
"I don't really know what to think at the moment," he said. "I spoke to my kids last night and they told me to bring back a trophy.
"I think this is a pretty cool one to bring back for them!"
"I used to get up in the middle of the night to watch this tournament back home," he added. "Just to be able to play in it and now to be the Champion Golfer of the Year, it's unbelievable."
Sport runs in his genes
Fox was born in Tokoroa, Waikato, in New Zealand's North Island, and following in the footsteps of his dad and grandad, he was a keen rugby union player and cricketer.
Sport ran in the family. His grandfather, Merv Wallace, was considered one of the best Kiwi batters of his time, playing 13 Tests for New Zealand, captaining the side on two occasions, going on to score 439 runs in his Test career.
His dad, Grant, was inducted into World Rugby's Hall of Fame in 2014 and is one of the finest goal kickers to have graced the game.
The fly-half played his club rugby for Auckland and won 46 caps for the All Blacks, scoring 645 points during his international career.
Grant helped guide New Zealand to win the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987 and featured heavily during New Zealand's 2-1 series win over the British and Irish Lions in 1993.
"We've got a great history in our family," Fox said on Sunday afternoon.
"The other great thing is I had no pressure on me to follow in any of their footsteps. I was lucky enough to carve my own path there and had support from both my grandfather and my mum and dad through the whole thing.
"I don't know if this tops their achievements, but it's certainly right up there. There's no pressure on my kids going forward now!"
Fox pursues a career in golf
After completing his high school studies, Fox chose to pursue a career in golf, having whittled his handicap down to two by the age of 16.
His parents had advised him to continue his studies, and he would enrol at the University of Auckland, where he began a bachelor's degree in law before switching to major in psychology.
But golf was his true love. He turned pro in 2012 at the age of 25 and would go on to win three times on the PGA Tour of Australasia.
Fox also cut his teeth on the Hotel Planner Tour before winning his DP World Tour card in 2016. He won his first title on the DP World Tour, claiming his first event at the ISPS Handa World Super 6 Perth in 2019, before going on to earn temporary membership on the PGA Tour in 2023.
Including The Open, Fox now has five wins on the DP World Tour, including the BMW PGA Championship in 2023 and the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in 2022, and won his first PGA Tour title last year at the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic, before winning the RBC Canadian Open.
But he never envisioned he'd win a major.
"I said to my team last night, you know, at dinner, if you'd have given me my career up till yesterday when I turned pro, I'd have jumped at that," Fox said.
"I don't know what to think now, to be honest. You dream of being a major champion."
'I wanted to do something special for Warney'
In 2022, Fox dedicated his triumph at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship to his late friend Shane Warne, who died in March of that year.
Fox and the Australian spin bowling legend, a low handicapper himself, had joined forces in the team element of the event in Scotland five times previously, last teeing up together at the 2021 event.
"The only person I can really think of at the moment is Warney," Fox said, after winning in 2022. "It definitely felt as if he was with me all the way around.
"It means a lot to win this event. We were great mates, and it's just a shame he's not here. I really wanted to try to do something special for Warney and I'm pretty proud to have been able to accomplish that."
The fourth Kiwi to win a major
On Sunday, Fox became only the fourth player from New Zealand to win a major championship.
Sir Bob Charles was the first. He claimed victory at The Open in 1963 at Royal Lytham and St Annes, while Michael Campbell followed up in 2005 at the US Open.
Lydia Ko also boasts three major titles, with her most recent coming at the 2024 Women's Open.
"To be able to join them is amazing," Fox said. "To have my own little piece of history. I don't know if it's something I ever thought was possible, but we're here now."
A guy 'who never changed'
Fox has earned the plaudits from many within the golfing world for his attitude to the sport, life and never forgetting his roots.
Prior to his Open victory, PGA Tour of Australasia general manager Nick Dastey hailed Fox for "continuing to give back to Australian and New Zealand golf."
"The greatest thing I could say about Ryan is he hasn't changed from the moment he first turned professional to the moment now, and this won't change him either," Dastey told the DP World Tour.
"You know, he is just a fantastic human being. He is someone that, if we could model the professional golfer on, and someone that we would want as a tour member, he's it."
What's next?
The next PGA Tour event is the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities in Minnesota, beginning Thursday, with early coverage on Sky Sports+ before switching to Sky Sports Golf at 7pm.
The 3M Open is part of a triple-header of live golf on Sky Sports, with the ISPS Handa Senior Open and ISPS Handa Women's Scottish Open also live. The women's major season then concludes with the AIG Women's Open from July 30-August 2, also live on Sky Sports Golf. Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract.
Get the best prices and book a round at one of 1,700 courses across the UK & Ireland
