Ko aims to channel 'inner Foxy' for Women's Open bid

New Zealand's Lydia Ko is looking to tap into the "inner Foxy" – the fearless spirit of her compatriot Ryan Fox – as she targets a second Women's Open title at Royal Lytham this week. Ko watched with admiration as Fox recently secured the men's British Open at Royal Birkdale, becoming only the second New Zealander to win golf's oldest major.

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I would love to kind of keep the dice rolling. Super excited for Foxy and the whole of golf New Zealand for his win just up the road at Birkdale.

Now, competing just a short distance away on the northwest England coast, Ko aims to follow in Fox's footsteps. She seeks to disrupt the strong performances this year from American world number one Nelly Korda and South Korea's Ryu Hae-ran, who have each won two majors. "I would love to kind of keep the dice rolling. Super excited for Foxy and the whole of golf New Zealand for his win just up the road at Birkdale," Ko told reporters.

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I don't think I've been that nervous and that excited watching somebody else play. Just his whole back nine and the way he played over the weekend was incredible.

Ko, one of only four New Zealanders to have won a golf major, drew parallels between her own game and Fox's. While she is known for her laser-straight hitting, she noted Fox's ability to score well even when not hitting fairways. "Yeah, it would be cool to channel my inner Foxy, his fearlessness, out there for me these next few days," she added.

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Yeah, it would be cool to channel my inner Foxy, his fearlessness, out there for me these next few days.

She described the Royal Lytham course as the "toughest Women's Open championship venue I have ever played." The course, known for its numerous pot bunkers, demands accuracy. After missing the cut in the first two majors of the year, Ko has shown improved form, with a tied 15th finish at the PGA Championship and a tied seventh at the Evian Championship, her best major results since her 2024 Women's Open victory at St Andrews.

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I think this is the toughest Women's Open championship venue I have ever played.