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Ryan Fox poses with the trophy on the Swilcan Bridge on the 18th hole after winning the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on the Old Course St Andrews.
Kiwi golfer Ryan Fox has won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship for the biggest victory of his career.
Fox held his nerve to win by one shot from Alex Noren, Sweden, and England’s Callum Shinkwin at the Old Course at St Andrews in Scotland on Monday (NZT).
He earned $1.43m for the victory. It was Fox’s third win on the DP World Tour and second this year.
Fox had regularly played the celebrity event with the late Australian cricket great Shane Warne.
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“I felt that Warney was with me this week. You need a little bit of luck in golf and I felt that he was that today,” Fox told the BBC.
“He absolutely loved this tournament and we had an awful lot of fun here over the years. A lot of people missed him this week including myself, but I’m pretty proud to get the job done and remember him like that.
“It’s a terrible shame he’s not here. I’m going to enjoy celebrating this one with the family.”
Jan Kruger/Getty Images
Ryan Fox celebrates a key birdie on the 15th hole on the Old Course St Andrews.
Fox started the final day four shots behind England’s Richard Mansell. But he took advantage as Mansell struggled to a closing 76 to tie for seventh.
Fox shot 68 to win on 15-under. Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy tied for fourth.
Fox picked up four birdies on his front nine and three more coming home, though he mixed those with three bogeys. Fox made a pressure par on the 18th to seal victory.
“I wouldn’t say I came into this week with any good form – with a couple of missed cuts and a withdrawal – but I always felt that this week was going to be a little different,” Fox said.
When asked whether he felt Warne’s presence out on course, Fox added: “Yeah, there was definitely some luck out there.
“Obviously I was pretty nervy the last three holes. I didn’t hit very good shots, to be honest, down the 16th, 17th and 18th. He was definitely helping out.”
The win sees Fox soar to third on the European tour rankings behind McIlroy and England’s Matt Fitzpatrick. It gives Fox the chance to challenge for the Harry Vardon Trophy.
“I guess after the good run I had in the middle of the year, that was always the goal, to give myself a chance going into Dubai,” he said.
“It’s pretty cool to have that. Obviously a couple of pretty good players on that rankings list, so I’ll have to do something even more special to get ahead of those guys but just to be in the mix is pretty good.”
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