Ryan Fox became the champion golfer of the year with a stunning final round 68 to finish at 10 under at Royal Birkdale. As tributes poured across the golf world, few have carried as much weight as one from Jack Nicklaus. The Golden Bear took to Instagram to celebrate Fox’s maiden title, and in doing so, he revealed the warmth and generosity that has defined his relationship with the game’s next generation. True to his character, he extended his appreciation to the runner-up, Cameron Young.

The 18-time major winner opened the message with a warm detail about Fox’s daughter getting a beautiful souvenir from the Open Championship.

“Every trip across the pond warrants a souvenir for the kids. Well, Ryan Fox, your kids said they wanted you to bring home a trophy, and you did! And it’s a great trophy! One you absolutely earned!” Another member of The Bear’s Club brings home a major this year—Rory McIlroy at The Masters and now Ryan at The Open!” Nicklaus wrote in his Instagram post.

For Nicklaus, the win was yet another feather in the cap for The Bear’s Club, his exclusive enclave in Jupiter, Florida, that counts Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and Fox among its members. But even while celebrating Fox’s triumph, Nicklaus was quick to give Cameron Young his due. Young, another Bear’s Club regular, had put on a clinic on Sunday, firing a blistering 64 to set the clubhouse mark and keep the pressure on.

Nicklaus praised Young’s consistency throughout the year, as he said:

“Cam Young, also a member of the Club, played a wonderful round today with a 64. Actually, Cam has played great all year. He has put himself in position every week and given himself a chance. He is becoming a better player week after week. Congratulations, Cam, on a tournament well played. Again, congrats and well done, Ryan, with a good win. Good things happen to good people. We couldn’t be happier for you.”

Young came agonizingly close to forcing a playoff. After charging up the leaderboard with a front-nine 29, a late fairway bunker on the 72nd hole led to a costly bogey that left him at 9-under. Reflecting on his blistering 64 after the round, Young remained optimistic despite the close miss: “I played a great round of golf, and I did it in a really good way,” he said. “I had a chance to win with not everything I’ve got. So I think that’s a good takeaway.”

However, Fox got the better of the duel down the stretch. As Nicklaus pointed out, Fox’s victory was no stroke of luck; it was a masterclass in resilience. After sitting T85 on Thursday and barely making the cut on Friday, he fired a record-tying 62 on Moving Day to vault into Sunday contention.  Sunday was an absolute rollercoaster with four of them trading the lead, and even after slipping up with two bogeys on the back nine, Fox locked in. He birdied four of his last six, capped off by a stone-cold 12-foot putt on the notoriously tough 18th at Royal Birkdale to take the title by a single stroke.

The enormity of the win hit Fox almost immediately. He was seen on the brink of tears as he FaceTimed his wife and young daughters back in Florida.

Few legends can appreciate both sides of Sunday’s outcome quite like Nicklaus. As a three-time Open Champion, he knows the unmatched thrill of lifting the Claret Jug. But having also finished as the runner-up at The Open a record seven times, the Golden Bear knows the deep agony of coming up one shot short, making his admiration for both men all the more meaningful.

That appreciation has precedent. Had Young not made a costly bogey on the 18th, he would have had a real shot at his first major. That said, it marked his second Open runner-up finish and eighth second-place result of his PGA Tour career. He also won twice this year: the Players Championship in March and the Cadillac Championship in April.

With the Open now closing out the major season, both men will head into the rest of 2026 with plenty still to chase. Fox will do so as a newly minted major champion, and Young is still hunting the breakthrough that has eluded him.