Ryan Fox is only the fourth man in the past 30 years to win his first major aged 39 or older
As chaos unfolded on Sunday afternoon at the 154th Open Championship, Ryan Fox was the man who kept cool in the baking conditions at Royal Birkdale.
The 39-year-old New Zealander, who is the son of All Black legend Grant, shot a two-under 68 to finish one ahead of American Cameron Young and lift the Claret Jug.
After a final round full of spills and thrills, Fox knew a birdie on the 18th would be enough to secure his first major title.
Easier said than done. The long par-four had yielded only four birdies all day, but the courageous Fox did not take a step back as he chased down long-time clubhouse leader Young.
Fox grabbed the driver out of the bag and launched a crackerjack of a 330-yard tee-shot into the middle of the fairway.
With 175 yards left, he hit one of the approach shots of his career into the heart of the green.
Then he calmly stepped up and converted the biggest putt of his life from 11 feet.
Fox's fantastic finish capped a magnificently tight Open which could have gone in any direction on a chaotic and dramatic Sunday.
The Open final round: Fox birdies last to win Claret Jug – reaction
But the way which Fox played the final hole was a microcosm of his approach to the sport. Unflustered, uncomplicated and done with a minimum of fuss.
After an opening-round 72, Fox was seven strokes behind the lead and in joint 85th place.
A second-round 68 lifted him up to tied 52nd before he propelled himself into contention on Saturday with an eight-under 62, which tied the record for the lowest round at a men's major tournament.
Fox has made the largest comeback by position after 36 holes at a major in history.
The world number 56 is also the lowest-ranked Open champion since Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke in 2011.
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