Last Sunday, Cameron Young was waiting on the range at Royal Birkdale after finishing the 154th Open with 9 under when a roar shattered his focus. In the distance, Ryan Fox had holed a 12-foot birdie to lift the Claret Jug, just one shot ahead of Young. Filled with emotion, Fox called home, telling his family he had won and was coming back home to celebrate. But the Kiwi had not expected to bump into Young at the airport. On the Fore Play podcast, Fox recalled the incident and said he felt “really guilty”. 

“He actually was there at [British Airways] check-in [line at Manchester Airport], and I did feel really guilty. I’m literally walking in, stumbling in more than anything… He was great, though. I’ve played a bit with Cam since being on tour. He was asking a bit about some of the protocols. I was like, I don’t know, dude. One’s a replica, one’s a real one. I’ve got to give one back. That’s all I know.”

“He was brilliant. It’s hard. I’ve been on the receiving end of it, not to the level like that. People hold a putt on you to win, and sometimes you’ve just got to be like, ‘Okay, fair play.’ He’s so good, that dude. He’ll win a major very soon.”

🤔 golf trivia

This Should Be an Easy One, Right?

01/10

How Many Kiwi Golfers Have Won a Major?

3451

Oops, bogey!

But don’t worry, there’s still the back 9 to prove your high golf IQ

PLAY GOLF TRIVIA

Fox had chased majors before—runner-up at the 2022 Irish Open, 2022 Nedbank, the 2015 Maekyung Open, and others—but never closed.

But what makes this win so special for him is the fact that it was his first major win. He also became only the second Kiwi to win the Open, after Bob Charles in 1963. But while Fox had tasted defeat, Young had tasted it more recently and painfully.

Young had come close before: runner-up at the 2022 Open, third at the 2026 Masters, but wins at the Players and Cadillac kept him sharp. His efforts, however, didn’t go completely to waste, as the 29-year-old is now the World No. 3. 

As for their numbers from the tournament, Fox carded rounds of 72, 68, 62 and 68. He scored 21 birdies and 10 bogeys, including a record-tying 62 in Round 3 and four birdies in his final six holes, sealed by a birdie on 18. Young, on the other hand, produced rounds of 67, 67, 73 and 64 with 17 birdies and 8 bogeys. His closing 64 featured seven birdies but ended with a bogey on 18, leaving him one shot short.

Young’s World No. 3 ranking and wins over top competition like Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy show his caliber. Young can even take this momentum into his next event.