Ryan Fox — the perfect golfer

By Neville Idour

As the saying goes “there is no such thing as perfect.”

While that may be true in the finite sense of the word, I am sure there are some diamond jewelry makers who would disagree. But I digress. I pen these words just a few hours after New Zealand’s golf star Ryan Fox clinched a mesmerising and memorable second PGA Tour title in just a month.

What really struck me watching his play in the final round of the Canadian Open was the man himself and his mantle on the golf course — as if I didn’t already know.

But this day simply put the exclamation mark on his example for all to see. A youngster taking up the game could not find a better role model than Ryan Fox. He surely must fill we Kiwi golf fans with immense pride.

He is no charismatic Bryson DeChambeau with millions of fans and probably the number one golf influencer on the planet. But in a different way Fox is garnering a huge following and if he can continue to cement his position in the upper reaches of the game's rankings he will be one of the most popular and supported players, not only on the PGA Tour but worldwide.

Caption: Ryan Fox poses with another trophy after winning the Canadian Open at Caledon in Ontario last month. Photo credit: Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images).

He seemed to have the most support during the playoff with Sam Burns of the United States. Canadians probably feel more kinship with New Zealand than the USA these days.

Like DeChambeau he is an excitement machine when he launches into a shot. He had fired the longest drive in the final round of the Canadian Open. To see him paired with DeChambeau in a major championship would be a mouth watering prospect.

There were so many players in with a chance of victory in the final round that Fox’s emergence into the playoff was nigh on remarkable — and what a playoff.

His play on the last few holes and then into the playoff produced theatre that was enthralling, exciting, excruciating, agonising and any other adjectives you can think of for four tries at the 18th, a great finishing hole. To think it could have been all over the first time when Fox’s lengthy putt missed by a whisker.

Anyway back to the thoughts of the perfect golfer. What is there to like about Ryan Fox, the person and golfer? Everything would be the simple answer.

He always portrays an image of a humble, likeable, no nonsense nice guy. The commentators on both the PGA and DP World tours love him. One said at the Canadian Open: “I love his pace of play” during the playoff. That was never more obvious during the playoff, not that Burns was particularly slow to play. But compared to Fox he was.

I cannot remember ever seeing Fox have a temper moment or whack a club in frustration, or use foul language to vent his feelings. He shows remarkable control of his emotions at all times and has a temperament that is perfect for golf. His humble responses in the after playoff interview were quite disarming and engaging. We can only wish Fox – the perfect golfer — all the success he deserves.