Ryan Fox wins British Open, denies Australian after 'two perfect shots'

New Zealand's Ryan Fox has claimed his maiden major title, winning the prestigious British Open at Royal Birkdale. The son of former All Blacks flyhalf Grant Fox held his nerve on the final green, sinking a 12-foot putt for birdie to clinch the Claret Jug by a single shot.

Fox, 39, endured a tense finish, battling nerves that made it difficult to hold his putter. However, he executed a perfect final hole to finish at 10-under par. He becomes only the second New Zealander to win the Open Championship, following Bob Charles who achieved the feat 63 years ago.

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With me, it's always been 'see a shot, hit a shot'. As soon as I start thinking about it too much, then some bad stuff creeps in. On the last, I hit two perfect shots. I'm not sure how I hit the putt. My hands were all over the place; I was just trying to get it towards the hole somewhere. It's surreal that it went in. Yeah, 'Champion Golfer of the Year' has a pretty good ring to it.

American Cameron Young finished as the runner-up at nine-under par after posting the day's best round of 64. Sam Burns finished third at eight-under. Australia's Lucas Herbert, who had been in contention, ultimately fell back after a difficult penultimate hole where he drove into the bushes and ended up with a bogey. Herbert finished tied for sixth place, four shots behind the champion.

Despite facing some bad luck during the round, including hitting a bunker lip on the 15th and landing in a fairway trap on the 17th, Fox remained mentally strong. His victory is a career highlight, capping a remarkable performance under pressure.

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I spoke to my kids last night, and they said, 'Bring back a trophy'. I think this is a pretty cool one to bring back for them!