Ryan Fox secures starts on the PGA Tour for the next two years

By Paul Gueorgieff, Golfer Pacific editor

There were two important factors to the win of Ryan Fox in the United States last month.

The first is obviously the prize money of $US720,000. That’s about $1.2 million in New Zealand dollars.

But the second factor is security. His win in the $US4 million Myrtle Beach Classic in South Carolina has secured him a start on the PGA Tour for the next two years and Fox said that was everything.

``That’s the biggest thing that comes out of it,’’ Fox said on Radio New Zealand the day after the win.

``To have two years out on the PGA Tour and no stress about keeping a card for a little while, and some certainty about what we're doing as a family, where we're going to be based — all of that stuff, that's huge.’'

A bonus from the win was a start in the PGA Championship a week later at the Quail Hollow Club at Charlotte in North Carolina. Fox would go on to finish 28th and earn an additional $US115,000 ($NZ195,000).

His win ended some moderate form. In 10 previous starts this year on the PGA Tour his best finished had been 20th.

Fox agreed his time on the PGA Tour had been trying.

Caption: Ryan Fox poses with his trophy after winning the Myrtle Beach Classic 2025 at Dunes Golf & Beach Club at Myrtle Beach in South Carolina last month. (Photo credit: Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images).

“I haven’t transitioned probably as well as I would have liked over to the PGA Tour,’’ he told the PGA Tour website.

``It was a tough year last year. I managed to just keep my card. It’s been a scratchy start this year as well.

``But I always, deep down, felt like I could compete with the guys out here — just haven’t been able to put it together.’'

Fox’s win was big for New Zealand. The previous time a New Zealander won on the PGA Tour was 10 years earlier in 2015 when Danny Lee won the Greenbrier Classic in West Virginia.

Ironically the wins of Fox and Lee both needed a playoff to determine the winner and Fox did his in dramatic style.

His tee shot on the first extra hole went left and he had to play a draw with his second which finished just off the green but 53 feet from the hole.

Fox was one of three in the playoff and the other two were in much better shape after their second shots.

Harry Higgs from the United States was 30 feet from the pin for two while Mackenzie Hughes of Canada hit an excellent second to be 17 feet away.

Then came perhaps the shot of Fox’s career to date. He chipped from the side of the green and even while the ball still had several feet to go, Fox raised an arm in celebration as he could see the ball was headed for the hole, which it did.

Fox said he had an advantage of putting on a similar line when playing the same hole in regulation play.

“I had a really similar line in regulation and missed the putt right,” Fox said.

``My caddie, Dean (Smith), said to me, remember, this doesn’t break that much.

``So I just kind of aimed straight at it, and I hit the spot I wanted to hit. To be honest, it never looked like it was going anywhere else, and the rest of it is a bit of a blur from there.”

Caption: Ryan Fox poses with his family and the trophy after winning the Myrtle Beach Classic 2025 at Dunes Golf & Beach Club in South Carolina last month. (Photo credit: Andy Lyons/Getty Images).

Fox had to temper his celebration as Hughes and Higgs still had putts to extend the playoff but both missed narrowly.

Fox had rounds of 65, 70, 68 and 66 on the par 71 course to finish at 15 under par.

He would have been thankful for much more consistency on the last day when he had five birdies and no bogeys.

The previous day he shot three under par but a brilliant nine birdies were spoiled by six bogeys.

Fox also would have been thankful to be in a playoff.

Hughes had a one shot lead coming to the last hole but pulled his tee shot into the trees, had to chip out and had to settle for a bogey which lead to a three-way playoff.

Fox used to be referred to as the son of All Black legend Grant Fox but he has now established himself as a top golfer.

The 38-year-old has won three times on the DP World Tour, including the flagship PGA Championship in England in 2023, and has climbed as high as No 23 in world rankings.

But prior to last month’s win his ranking had slipped to 119 but he was back up to 71 after the win at Myrtle Beach.