HotelPlanner Tour alumni Ryan Fox secured his maiden PGA TOUR victory in dramatic fashion at the Myrtle Beach Classic.
Having ended the final round in a three-way tie for the lead alongside American Harry Higgs and Canadian Mackenzie Hughes at 15 under par, Fox chipped in from 50 feet on the first play-off hole to seal a first PGA TOUR triumph in his 68th start. The New Zealander’s victory in South Carolina is the latest highlight of a career that ignited on the HotelPlanner Tour back in 2015.
Fox tasted victory for the first time in his fourth HotelPlanner Tour start at the Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge. A third place at the ROLEX Trophy, the following event, set the New Zealander up to finish 16th on the Road to Mallorca Rankings. However, better was to come during the 2016 season.
After placing second at the SSE Scottish Hydro Challenge and inside the top five at the D+D REAL Slovakia Challenge, Fox landed a second HotelPlanner Tour title at the Northern Ireland Open, cruising to a four-stroke win.
Five more top 15s would follow before the end of the 2016 season, including a sixth place at the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final, which saw Fox end the year fourth on the Road to Mallorca Rankings.
After earning DP World Tour status ahead of the 2017 season, Fox would wait two years for a breakthrough on Golf’s Global Tour, which came at the 2019 ISPS Handa World Super 6 Perth. The two-time HotelPlanner Tour winner beat Spaniard Adrian Otaegui 3&2 in the final.
Fox’s first stroke-play title came at the 2022 Ras Al Khaimah Classic before a second win of the year followed at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. However, the most significant win of his career to date would come 12 months later.
Entering the final round of the BMW PGA Championship three shots off the lead, Fox triple-bogeyed the third and appeared to have fallen out of contention. However, a back nine 31, which included a closing birdie on the par five 18th, saw the New Zealander finish at 18 under par to win on Golf’s Global Tour for a fourth time.
Since taking up full playing status on the PGA TOUR in 2024, Fox has posted four top ten finishes, and due to his latest victory in South Carolina, the 38-year-old will tee it up at this week’s US PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte.
