SOUTHPORT, England (AP) — Ryan Fox doesn’t have a YouTube channel, only the best content: a silver claret jug.The British Open was on the verge of being remembered for all the wrong reasons — most of them involving Bryson DeChambeau — until Fox took his place in history. More than just winning his first major, it was how he did it.There have been birdies on the 72nd hole with the final shot of the major to win by one, most recently by Xander Schauffele in the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla. But the 9-iron Fox hit from 175 yards on the toughest hole at Royal Birkdale ranks up there with Sandy Lyle’s fairway bunker shot on the 18th at Augusta National to win the 1988 Masters.“That’s one of the shots you dream of hitting,” Fox said after his one-shot victory over Cameron Young. “To execute like that under pressure, yeah, very proud of myself to do that.”Adding to the drama was Young, once known as the talented American who endured nearly four years of close calls before getting his first PGA Tour victory (and then some). Now he can start adding the heartache in majors.
He had finished his Sunday-best 64 more than two hours earlier, when the leaders were on the front nine, and before long the leader was Young. Justin Thomas also had to wait what felt like an eternity when he closed with a 65 at the PGA Championship, but he never reached the top of the board.The image of Young was hard to watch. He was on the range — waiting, waiting — until hearing that explosive cheer for Fox. He lifted his driver over his shoulder with his head down and tapped it a few times on the ground — not as hard as Robert MacIntyre and Jon Rahm, who both were issued code-of conduct warnings — and then Young packed up and left.
