New Zealanders wake to a new major champion, heap praise on Ryan Fox

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — When Ryan Fox rolled in a 12-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole at Royal Birkdale to win the British Open by one shot, it was just past 5.30 a.m. in his homeland and the sun hadn't yet risen.

Most New Zealanders woke Monday to a wintry morning and the news their small nation had its fourth major golf champion.

Those who followed Fox on television throughout the night were able to watch him lift the Claret Jug before heading bleary-eyed but happily to work.

Sir Bob Charles, who was New Zealand's first major winner and the first left-handed player to win a major when he won the British Open in 1963, is now 90 and watched Fox's found round in replay at a more congenial hour.

“I’m watching this in color. In my day, it was all black and white,” Charles told the New Zealand Herald newspaper of the TV coverage. “I’m watching every hole that he’s playing. In my day, they only had about the last three or four holes.”

Charles praised Fox for the pace at which he plays the game which goes against a modern tendency toward slow play. Fox hesitated for barely 30 seconds over the final putt that allowed him to join Charles, Michael Campbell and Lydia Ko as a major-winner from New Zealand.

“Ryan is a refreshing player,” Charles told the Herald. “He plays the way the game should be played, the way it used to be played and should be played. And that is: you get on with it, and you don’t spend half an hour lining up every putt.

“Let’s hope that Ryan can be a great example of how the game should be played now, even when you’re playing for, you know, $100 million!”

New Zealand's Parliament is in recess. Had it been in session politicians likely would have taken the opportunity to lavish praise on Fox, seeking some of his reflected glory.

Instead, New Zealanders rushed to social media to praise the 39-year-old Fox, a third-generation sporting champion within his family. His father, Grant Fox, was an All Blacks rugby star and winner of the 1987 Rugby World Cup. His grandfather, Merv Wallace, was a captain of the New Zealand cricket team.

Fox touched on the family history after his win.

“We’ve got a great history in our family,” he said. “The other great thing is I had no pressure on me to follow in any of their footsteps. I don’t know if this tops their achievements, but it’s certainly right up there. I guess there’s no pressure on my kids going forward now!”

As if in tribute, the New Zealand cricket team completed a match and series win over the West Indies in the Caribbean just hours after Fox's triumph.

At Fox's home course, the Royal Auckland and Grange Golf Club, club captain Ian Blair said “you couldn’t find a nicer guy and more worthy champion golfer.”

“Our club has been privileged to watch Ryan develop from a fine young man with potential to a champion player and member,” Blair said.

Club chief executive Ian Chapman told the Stuff news website members will be queuing up to buy Fox a beer.

Michael Campbell, the 2005 U.S. Open champion, described Fox's effort as “an incredible feat ... to beat the world's best players in a difficult situation.”

“I got to experience that 21 years ago. It's mind-blowing. It really changes your world and he's up there with the best players in the world now,” Campbell said on the New Zealand Herald's Ryan Bridge today podcast.