How Did The European Tour Regulars Fare At The British Open?
By Matt Coles
Ryan Fox – T16: -2
Like Lewis, New Zealand’s Ryan Fox secured his best-ever finish at a Major Championship, as he secured a top 20 end to his week at Royal Portrush.
Again, like the Englishman, Fox had been inconsistent coming into the final major of the year, including a run of six straight missed cuts ahead of his week in Northern Ireland.
His year started with a strong showing at the first Rolex Series event of the year, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship presented by EGA, where he secured a T27 result.
‘Foxy’ then took his first European Tour victory at the ISPS Handa World Super 6 Perth, defeating Adrian Otaegui 3&2 in the final in the split stroke play-match play event.
However, from there, in his run to the British Open, the Kiwi then failed to make the cut in six consecutive events, starting at the Betfred British Masters in May.
The same result followed at the PGA Championship, Made in Denmark Open presented by FREJA, U.S. Open, Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, and the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open.
To then turn his form around and finish in the top 20 of the British Open is nothing short of remarkable for the New Zealander, who started the week with a lovely round of 68.
Fox struggled on Friday, shooting 75, before a third-round 70 saw him back to level-par ahead of the final day. One of only a few to shoot under par in testing conditions on Sunday, the Kiwi’s 69 saw him move up into a tie for 16th, his best performance in a major tournament.