European Tour Power Rankings: ISPS Handa Vic Open
By Matt Coles
New Zealand’s premier golfer on the European Tour is Ryan Fox, and he comes in at 4th on the ProGolfNow Power Rankings ahead of the ISPS Handa Vic Open in Geelong this week.
For the first time in his career, Fox featured in at least three of the four major tournaments in 2019, missing out on only the Masters across the season. His best result came at the British Open Championship at Royal Portrush, where he came home in a tie for 16th.
That run of featuring in the major championships came off the back of taking his maiden victory on the European Tour last February, when he won the ISPS Handa World Super 6 Perth, as he beat Spain’s Adrian Otaegui in the final of the half stroke play, half match play event.
That victory was one of ten top 20 results across the past two seasons, which included a runners-up finish at the 2018 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open hosted by the Rory McIlroy Foundation.
He also came home in a tie for 8th at the Italian Open, T6 at the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open and 12th at the Trophee Hassan II in the 2018 campaign.
Fox followed that with a T6 at the Saudi International powered by SBIA in February 2019, with the victory in Perth two weeks later. A T11 came at his home event, the New Zealand Open, in the same month, before a pair of T18 results at both the Italian Open and the Open de France in October.
The Kiwi currently sits in 70th on the Race to Dubai leaderboard for the 2020 campaign, following a pair of top 30 finishes on the ‘desert swing’. He came home in a tie for 30th at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, before finishing in T27 at the Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisors.
Twelve months on from his maiden European Tour victory, the New Zealander is looking for a second, having dropped outside of the top 150 in the Official World Golf Rankings. Could this be Foxy’s week?