The 2026 Open Championship finished in dramatic fashion on Sunday, with 39-year-old Ryan Fox birdieing four of Royal Birkdale’s final six holes — including the 18th, which required an 11-foot birdie putt to get him to 10 under par overall, avoiding a playoff with clubhouse leader Cameron Young — to claim the year’s final major title outright by a single shot.

The win marked the first major championship of Fox’s career, but he has been a world-class player for more than a decade, with eight international victories between 2014 and 2023, and two on the PGA Tour, both of which were last year: the 2025 RBC Canadian Open and the 2025 ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic.

In the aftermath of his stunning achievement, Fox, who is from New Zealand, had an emotional call with his family back home. Cameras zoomed in on Fox’s face as he shared the happy news with his wife, Anneke, and young daughters, Isobel, 5, and Margot, 3, who were watching at home in Florida.

“You asked me to bring a trophy home, and I am, aren’t I?” Fox can be heard saying. “I don’t know what to think right now. I don’t know how I hit that last putt, to be honest.”

Fox seemed to still be in shock throughout the call, telling his wife he also needed to call his dad. As he prepared to end the call, he reminded his family that they could see him on TV shortly, prompting one of his daughters to ask him to show her how big the trophy he promised them really is.

“You’ll see it very soon,” he said.

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