Ryan Fox has won the 154th Open Championship after a remarkable week at Royal Birkdale, capping off his triumph with a near-perfect final round of eight-under-par. The New Zealander secured his first major title, finishing two shots ahead of the field.
Record-Equalling Round Sets Up Victory
Fox joined Lucas Herbert and Sam Burns in producing a record-equalling lowest round for a men's major on Saturday, shooting a 62. That score propelled him to joint top of the leaderboard heading into the final day, despite starting Sunday two shots behind Sam Burns.
Final Round Dominance
In the final round, Fox delivered a flawless performance, finishing eight-under to claim the Claret Jug. His consistency under pressure proved decisive, as he navigated the challenging Royal Birkdale course with precision.
McIlroy's Disappointment
Rory McIlroy, who won the Masters in April, endured a difficult week at Royal Birkdale. The Northern Irishman finished with a disappointing 71 in the final round, leaving him at one-under for the championship. His round included three bogeys and a double-bogey on the 16th hole.
“I just sort of stuck in neutral for most of the week,” McIlroy admitted. “Obviously shot a good one on Friday to get myself in for the weekend and back in it. Yeah, even par over the weekend is not going to get it done. Yeah, I just felt like any time I got a little bit of momentum out there, I seemed to make a bogey. Yeah, just one of those weeks I couldn't get it going.”
Looking Ahead
McIlroy reflected on his season, saying: “This season feels very similar to last season. Obviously won the first major of the year, fell off a little bit after that, but still any time you win a major in a year, you have to be pleased about that. Yeah, like I haven't really took the time to enjoy that or celebrate that. Poppy's got another four weeks off school until she goes back, sort of middle to end of August, so just going to enjoy the summer holidays with her and Erica. Yeah, that's what I'm looking forward to the most.”
He added: “Then obviously I'll get back to playing and still in a decent position, I guess, in both title races. As long as I'm in the top 30 going into the Tour Championship, and then I'm in a decent spot still in the Race to Dubai. So try to play hard until the end of the season and then try to win one or both of those.”
