Final spots at The Open are SEALED & Ryan Fox extended interview! | Sky Sports Golf Podcast

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Jamie Weir is at Royal Cinque Ports for this week’s episode of the Sky Sports Golf Podcast where one of the final qualifying tournaments for The Open was taking place.

We hear from four of the men to book their places at Royal Portrush in a couple of weeks’ time.

Plus there’s an extended interview with Ryan Fox about what he describes as an ‘incredible six weeks’ following wins at Myrtle Beach and at the Canadian Open.

#skysportsgolf #Ryanfox #golf

00:00 – Weekend results round-up
04:35 – Ryan Fox interview
07:30 – Similarities between Ryan and Bob MacIntyre
11:00 – Winning Myrtle Beach by holing out in a playoff
18:20 – Fitting that Ryan won in Canada?
22:30 – When did golf become the main focus?
25:00 – Michael Campbell’s US Open win
27:10 – How Ryan learned from All Black father
32:00 – Winning St Andrews and Wentworth
39:15 – Interviews with qualifiers for The Open

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Hello and welcome to the Sky Sports Golf podcast presented by Callaway and presented this week from glorious Royal Sinkports as final qualifying for the 153rd Open takes place here. This is one of four venues today. Bernaman Barrow, Westlanks and Donn Links also hosting FQ and this place genuinely hand the world probably my favorite links course in England. Incredibly friendly and welcoming as well. Um, so it is just a delight to be here for today in glorious sunshine, I have to say. Coming up, we’ll be hearing from some of the qualifiers who’ve made it to Royal Port Rush in just a fortnight’s time now, folks. And we’ve got what I have to say is a really great chat with two-time winner on the PGA Tour this season, one of the nicest men in golf, Ryan Fox. But we will start with a roundup of events from around the world of golf. And it was a weekend for firsttime winners. The huge, and I really do mean huge, hitting, Aldrich Pakita came through a three-man playoff at the Rocket Classic in Detroit. Just 20 years of age. That win lifts him inside the world’s top 50. A lot of people expecting big things from this man. You may remember he won the amateur championship at the age of 17 at Royal Rhythm. Has been knocking on the door in the PJ tour as well. And you may have well seen this on social media. This was quite nice as well. A lot of times when you win on the PGA tour, you have to go and sort of toast the sponsors with a glass of champagne or a beer or a glass of wine. Aldrick Pajita, because he’s 20 years of age and not legally allowed to drink in the States, had to go and do all that with the sponsors that had a glass of diet coke. I’m sure when he gets over here for the Scottish Open and for the Open Championship, he’ll be able to have a Guinness and really celebrate that win in style. Adrian Sadier on his 200th DP World Tour start was the winner of the Italian Open stood on the 10th Tree shots behind his fellow countryman Martin Kubra and then proceeded to play the next seven holes in five underpar and a lot of you will probably have seen this but when he spoke to Cat DS he was understandably incredibly emotional.
You finally have your win. So how does it feel?
He’s great. He’s great. Sorry. Don’t apologize. Don’t apologize. This is what it means.
So much work to do. Be able to do this and uh just grateful. And I know you had pizza last night. You’ll be celebrating tonight. The French players coming on to celebrate with you. I’m sure you’ve got lots of people who you’d want to thank to get you here. And I can see how emotional you are about the win.
Yeah. I mean, you have to start with the beginning. I have to thank my dad because It took the decision to bring me a golf when I was three. I have to thank my mom to let me play golf
and of course my wife and uh it’s great. It’s great.
And with your win, you secure your place at the open at Port Rush. What does that mean to you?
I have to cancel my flight for the years for the baraka. But yeah, it’s great. I mean, it will be a nice event. Uh I’m sure sure my parents, maybe my wife will come, so it will be nice. That really is what it is all about. Congratulations to him. And with that win, he also qualifies for the Open at Royal Port Rush. As does young Martin Kuba himself, a winner on the European swing of the DP World Tour already. And some interesting comparisons actually made between his swing and that of Rory Mroy on the coverage over the weekend. High praise indeed. Somi Lee and Jinhi Im were the winners of the DA championship on the LPJ tour. Again, first time winners. They beat Megan Kang and Lexi Thompson in a playoff. It would have been Lexi’s first win in six years, but not to be. And the senior open was won by the legend that is Podreg Harrington. Just a few weeks on from having him on the pod and him admitting how it hadn’t been the best of seasons for him so far. They hadn’t had his best stuff so far this season. He’s won his second senior US Open. He had a one-shot lead over Stuart Sink going up the last. Stuffed his approach into the last. Sink couldn’t respond. Could only two putt on the 18th green. So congrats to Paul Drake who we will see in Port Rush as of course a past open champion. Likewise Stuart Sink indeed and everyone here today at deal as well as all of those at Donn West Lanks and Bernham and Barrow will be hoping to join both of those men there. Right, let’s get to a chat I had last week with Ryan Fox. He literally just got back to his base in Florida after four weeks on the road with two small kids in tow. So understandably he was fairly exhausted.
Foxy been a fairly relentless few weeks just how you feeling right now sort of exhausted I would imagine is is the main word.
Yeah. Yeah. I mean it’s been an incredible let’s say six weeks. Um you obviously coming off the win in Myrtle Beach. Played my way into the PGA you know literally last man in the field. um had a week off in the middle there which was kind of nice just to decompress and then um you know did was not lucky to get in Memorial and then Canada got me obviously the win in Canada then that got me in the US Open last minute and then you know also got me in Travelers as well or or locked me into Travelers. I was kind of on the edge there and
yeah, it’s been just a crazy last 6 weeks. And then just to top it off, um had a little bit of a stomach bug last week, which seemed to run through most of the tour and the child care and everything like that. I I probably ended up better than some of the guys, but um yeah, that was a nice way to uh to finish off a pretty tough six week stretch. So yeah, I’m I’m quite happy to have a couple of weeks off now. That’s for sure.
Just need to curl up and lie in a darkened room for 48 hours or something. I’ve got two young kids. I’m not allowed to do that, though. Exactly. We’ve all been there. Um, are you having to pinch yourself at just how well this year’s gone? That you’re playing the golf life at the age of 38? Yeah, I I still don’t quite know what’s gone on the last six weeks to be honest. Um, like it’s not just winning twice, but sort of the way it happened as well. like,
you know, I had two pretty unbelievable shots in two playoffs to to get the job done. Um, yeah, just I don’t Yeah, I don’t really know what to think. It’s, you know, dreams come true. It’s literally a life-changing six weeks, six week period.
Um, and it kind of came from nothing to an extent. Like, I didn’t have a whole lot of form. I was pretty scratchy the first, you know, third of the year or half of the year if you whatever it is over here. And then,
you know, something started to feel good at Myrtle and I’ve just kind of rode the wave and, you know, even the last the weeks, you know, Memorial Travelers, US Open,
they were still really solid weeks in between everything else that went on. You know, some top 20, couple of top 25s, that kind of stuff. And yeah, it’s just been it’s been crazy to be honest. And um I probably won’t sink in properly till I actually get back home to New Zealand and get to celebrate with, you know, friends and family. It’ll I think that’s when it’ll kind of sink in that, you know, holy crap, this, you know, this year’s been what it has. And I’ve still got a whole lot to look forward to golf-wise this year. So I think, yeah, when it all kind of settles down and it’s all done, that’s when it’ll properly sink in. And it’s Yeah, it’s just been crazy. And it’s funny, I was thinking after Canada of the parallels between yourself and Bob McIntyre, he was Canadian Open champion last year and you were Canadian Open champion this year. And I think for both of you, you found the first year states side, you know, your boys that you know are real homeirds and are very sort of proud of where you come from. And you found that adjustment going from the really sort of friendly camaraderie of the DP World Tour to over there a difficult adjustment. Bob got that breakthrough win within four weeks he gets another win. And it’s kind of been exactly the same for you. And interestingly, I’ve spoken to Bob about this as well. He credits you a lot with being able to win in Canada last year, having a good pile alongside him on that final day to sort of help him get over the line.
Yeah. Um, yeah, my timeline’s probably a year behind where Bob is. You know, I think last year I struggled, but was gained a lot from just keeping my status over here. Um,
yeah.
Yeah. and did it even though it was 118, it I did it fairly comfortably in the end. You know, I skipped the last three weeks of the year with a hip injury and um just started to feel like I belonged a little bit more. We made some changes this year coming over here. We’re actually based in the US. I’m sitting in a rental house in Florida right now, which we’ve had since early February. And that’s just made everything a little bit easier. And um yeah, I just I think it takes a little bit more to belong over here, whatever it is. Um
you know, I think the camaraderie is a little different than the P uh than the DP World Tour. Um that that’s also just being new on tour as well. Um just how the tour is set up a little bit. You know, you kind of you get a car every week. everyone goes and stays their own places, your houses or hotels or whatever. Whereas the DP World Tour for a lot of the time feels a bit more centralized. You know, you you kind of everyone stays in the same place or a tournament hotel and it’s a bit easier to be social. Um but yeah, sort of started to feel a bit more comfortable out here this year that the results didn’t show and then all of a sudden, you know, bang, two and four or five weeks or whatever it was. And
um you know, I think just like Bob Once you I think after Myrtle Beach when I felt like I could compete out here properly not just tried to trick myself into it everything just became a little bit
easier you know stuff didn’t whether that’s having winners category and you know you’ve got job security and you can just go out and the bad shots don’t matter as much or whatever you know I felt a whole lot more comfortable coming down the stretch in Canada you know having a chance to win the tournament than did at Myrtle Beach and um that was a really good place to be. I’m sure Bob probably said the same thing in in Scotland when he was coming down the stretch. Canada probably made that a whole lot easier and you know it’s I think too an extra year out here getting to know guys a bit better. We we’ve got a pretty good group of I say I want to say Europeans even though I’m not European.
I get it. Yeah. But from the honorary European
Yeah. Like
we tend to hang out together. It’s it’s a getting a bit more social in that respect. Just, you know, hanging out in the players lounge and like our wives and girlfriends tend to hang out, you know, earlier on in the week and stuff like that. So, we’ve tried to band together a little bit this year, all the last couple of years over there. And I think that’s actually working and a lot of guys are starting to play really, really well.
Yeah. Aren’t they, Jeff? Let’s get to Myrtle Beach. When you haul out in a playoff to win, do you kind of just black out when something like that happens? Yeah, it that was like the whole back nine there was kind of strange. I always felt like I was one shy in the tournament. Like I I never I felt like I needed one more birdie to kind of have a chance to win and I was always short and then know Mat Hughes bogeied the last to get me in playoff and all of a sudden, you know, I hit in the crap off the tea and hit it back edge of the green. I’m just trying to give myself a chance with the chip, you know, figure one of those guys is going to make it and all of a sudden 10 foot out, that chip never looks like it’s going anywhere else.
Yeah.
And I’m just standing there looking at my caddy and going, you know, what the hell’s going on here?
And even at that point, you you expect someone to make a putt, right? Like we’re talking before we started, like strange stuff happens in a playoff. I’ve been on the receiving end of it a couple of times like
you know statistically guys holding putts or guys doing stuff that they shouldn’t do and that tends to happen more often in playoff and I was the other side of it for Myrtle Beach. I probably I think I had chipped in very often this year and I chipped in there to win a tournament and you know when when you know Mac missed that put for birdie it was like oh well what just happened like what’s going on? It was yeah it was a very surreal feeling and like my wife didn’t even know I’d won. She was picking up the kids from child care. She she had Satan to the toilet before coming back to the 18th green. And as she was walking up to the green, one of the other players, Mark Hubbler, comes down. She goes he goes, “Oh, congrats. Fox has won.” She’s like, “What? What? What? What’s just happened?” She missed the whole thing. Like it it literally felt like it happened that quick. And it was that quick in the moment as well. It was Yeah, it was nuts.
It wasn’t quick in Canada. It felt like that playoff was never going to end. But you know, you spoken about you spoken about the belief that you know, you got from Myrtle Beach. And what was so impressive to me in Canada was it wasn’t quite happening for you. You stayed patient and basically those last five holes,
barring what I have to say was a rank bird attempt at the 17th. But barring barring that putt, it was every shot was executed to perfection. And that must give you so much joy especially and the putt you hold to get into the playoff in the 18th as well. Yeah, I mean like as I said it it just felt easier in Canada like coming down the stretch like
I wasn’t I wasn’t playing for anything other than trying to win a tournament which I don’t when you can get rid of all that external stuff worried about FedEx Cup points and keeping a card and all the other crap associated with it. It’s it just
I was very clear coming down the stretch. Obviously I like I was I knew I was playing well
as well. That that does help. I had a lot of confidence in my game and yeah it was a scratchy start.
I I kind of hit some really good shots through the middle and didn’t take advantage of it. And then I hold a putt on was it 14? Yeah.
And then it was like okay yeah I’ve got a I’ve got a ch I’ve actually got a chance. Like if I think I would have missed that one on on 14, you know, I probably needed, you know, three in the last four holes that and, you know, 16 17 were tough holes and, you know, all of a sudden, you know, birdie 14, hit that one close on 15. Play 16 exactly how I wanted to. Almost made that putt. Um,
yeah,
pro if I hadn’t hit the threewood in the playoff on 18, that second shot in the 17 would have been the best shot I hit all week.
Like that that was exactly what I wanted to do. Obviously, the puck was horrific. Um, a a good combination a good a good combination of a of a misread and a pull which never looks like it’s going to go in. And then, you know, but at least I made up for it on the last. Um,
yeah. Yeah.
Knew I needed to make birdie. I had a great T- shot. Was is just a little bit too far to go at. And to be honest, in the in regulation, it was there was a little bit going, well, I know I I will get myself in the US Open as long as I don’t stuff the Yeah. If I don’t make six, I’m fine.
Yeah.
So, there was a little bit of, okay, lay it up. I’m going to give myself a birdie chance regardless. And worst case scenario, you know, I might finish tied second or whatever, and that’s still going to get me in the US Open, which will be a great week. And I did what I wanted to do. I I thought I hit the wedge shot a little closer than I did. It didn’t spin back down the slope. And then, you know, that putt hung on, but I hit a pretty good putt in the playoff to get into the playoffs. Yeah.
And then, you know, the first three hours of a playoff, you know, Sam and I both
led each other off there, you know.
Well, look, the very first of the playoff, you’ve got the best putter on the PJ tour standing over a six-footer to win it. How sort of
how powerless do you feel in that scenario? You almost cap off ready to shake. I’ I’d given him that. I mean,
yeah. Yeah.
I I’d, you know, I was like, “Okay, I gave it a run. I made the part to get in the playoff. That’s cool. I’m going to US Open next week. It’s been an awesome way, you know, awesome little stretch.” And then all of a sudden, he misses it. You’re like,
“Okay, we got to go again.” And I think, to be honest, that probably shocked both of us a little bit.
Like, it probably took a couple of holes for both of us to figure out what it
was. Some fairly average golf for the next Yeah. And you know, I I I took a chance the second playoff hole, hit a terrible wedge shot. I hit a terrible second shot. And then, you know, I hit a bad part that second playoff hole. We both played the third playoff hole terribly. And to be hon the back pin was an easy wedge shot and pretty hard to go at and the front pin was a really tough wedge shot. you could make six really easy with a with a wedge shot. Uh if you, you know, were a yard short or a little bit right or whatever, it spun too much and it was a bit of an easier shot to go at because it was 10 yards shorter. And you know, if you got it up near the green, you felt like you could give yourself a better birdie putt than you could with a wedge. And then obviously, you know, the fourth playoff hole, you know, I probably hit the best shot I’ve ever hit with that 3-wood and put the pressure on Sam and you know, he he let me off a little bit there with it with, you know, ramming his putt. But I also get, you know, if I was in his situation there, I’d probably assume give it a go.
Yeah.
I’d assume that he’s going to make that and I’ve got to give my putt a go. And, you know, it it was a quick putt. And yeah, I was very happy to be able to lag that little six and a half footer down there. And I would have liked to not have to mark the one coming back, but at least I wasn’t too stressed out about the next one. Yeah, it was
Yeah, then it all just became a blur after that kind of thinking what the hell has happened the last six weeks basically. It was
Yeah. Yeah. One PJ tour win was a dream. Two, you know, especially an event of that stature um within, you know, five weeks of each other or whatever it was is, yeah, can’t really describe that. I thought it was fitting that you won in Canada because go with me on this one. I see similarities between Canadians and Kiwis. you’re kind of the the quiet, unreserved, under the radar ones next to the loud, brash, in-your-face neighbors next door. So, there are sort of similarities between Tannid and New Zealand.
Yeah, there are. There’s there’s definitely the Canadian fans are great. Um, I felt like an honorary Canadian coming down the stretch. Whether that was
the pull of, hey, we’ve got an non-American versus an American or whether it was just purely that.
Uh, there were quite a lot of Kiwis in the crowd, the the New Zealand football team, the the AllHWH whites were there watching all day, which was cool. Chris Wood. Yeah. Um,
and that was cool to have their support, but yeah, it was there is definitely some similarities there. You know, I know what country you’re thinking about with the um with the brashness from our end of the world. Um
you could say the same with the Irish. You could say this. You know, we’re we’re the little unashim ones next door to the big neighbors as well. So,
yeah, that’s that’s probably true. Yeah. But yeah, I don’t know. Both years I’ve played the Canadian Open, I’ve played really good on two different golf courses. Whether it’s I’ve felt comfortable up there, it’s felt a little bit more like home in terms of culture. Um, in terms of maybe the golf courses and the and the grasses we’ve played up there as well, like it tends to not be as grainy. Um, you know, a lot of po which I grew up on. Um, and yeah, it’s just a, you know, Canada feels closer to New Zealand than it does than America does. I don’t know. But
yeah, I get it.
What whatever whatever it was, I’ll um I’m not complaining. I’ll take whatever whatever little help I can get to play well. and it obviously helped out that week.
And you touched upon this a little bit earlier. Do you believe in karma at all? Because you’d been in two European tour playoffs and I remember Russell Knox holding a monster pedal lifing against you.
Yeah,
it happened in Holland as well. Victor Perez, I think it was one in Holland, was it? Um,
so so do you believe in sort of karma? You’ve lost two playoffs and now you sort of you’ve got your own back. You’ve won two playoffs back to back
for whatever reason. you’re freed up a little bit in a playoff and people hold putts, you know, and same thing happens to get in a playoff when you know, well, I can’t finish worse than second. I’ve got to give this put a go. Like it just, yeah, weird stuff happens. And I’ve been on the receiving end and I’ve also now been the one giving it out. Um
yeah,
you know, it’s yeah, it’s calm has probably worked in that respect, but it’s just, you know, I think in the end, you play golf long enough, you get a bunch of stuff that goes in your favor and you get a bunch of stuff that goes
for you. And, you know, I’ve been, you know, lucky and unlucky in, you know, at the point end of tournaments. And um you know I’d probably I think
from what’s just happened in the last month I’ll probably come out a little bit on the on the lucky side. The scales have tipped a little bit in my favor. So I’m not
You make your own luck in this game. You make your own luck in this game. Um it also won’t be lost on you or anybody that you’ve won the last two tournaments preceding a major championship as well. So am I putting the house on Ryan Fox for the Scottish Open?
Um I don’t know. Um I don’t I haven’t had a great record at Renaissance, even though I love Lynch Golf.
Yeah.
Um for whatever reason. I think maybe had one top 25 there. Um
and played every year the tournament’s been there. So
I don’t know. It’s um
you much rather
I also we’re also playing Lens Golf and I could get the bad side of the draw and have no chance of making the cut. So we’ll see. But I think the the tough thing was I wasn’t in the field for both of those majors before winning. So at least I know I’m in the open. Yeah.
Now, so I don’t I don’t have to stress about changing plans if I do do something crazy on a Sunday and get myself into the open the following week. So I can I can actually plan for two weeks of Lynx golf, which will be nice. And I can’t wait for Port Rush either. I mean, that’s just
that’s one of I think that might be my favorite golf course in the world.
Oh, listen. And I can’t wait either as you can imagine. Um, just going sort of way back, you know, not everybody is a Rory Maroy or Jordan Speed and bursts onto the scene at the age of 21. You were a late bloomer. When did sort of golf become the sole focus? Um, I mean I like I always played golf growing up, but rugby and cricket were my two main sports. I played a bit of tennis as well. Um, and I started a law degree at Oakland University at 18. At that stage, I decided I’d give up cricket and rugby um for various reasons. And I wanted to do something competitive and I I played off two like I could I could play golf. I’ve obviously got some pretty good hand eye coordination running through my my family. Um and you know, my dad played golf. I always played golf with him growing up. But,
you know, I just thought I’ll do some practice, get a coach, see if I like playing tournament golf. And I played one tournament in probably like I think it was June or July, I’m going to say 2005 and that was me done. I loved it and didn’t get through first year law kind of intentionally. I wasn’t interested in that. And then my did a full second year of university and then decided after that that I really wanted to give golf a go. Um my parents decided that I still had to carry on and finish my uni degree. So I turned a three-year degree into a four-year degree. Did part-time my last two years. cuz that’s when I I made the New Zealand squad and golf was what I wanted to give a go from there. Yeah.
Um and then I turned pro at the end of 2011. So I had a couple of like really solid years of of full-time am golf there, you know, playing for New Zealand. I played a bunch of events in the US and stuff like that as an amateur and um you know got through the Aussie tour Q school at the end of 2011 and played my first you know PJ tour first tour event in 2012 as a 25 year old. So, I’ve had a, you know, a a different journey than most or a lot of guys on tour, especially, you know, you see the guys coming out on PJ Tour now through PJ Tour U, like, you know, they’ve been wanting to do this since I probably 8 years old. And
yeah,
all of them are so good coming straight out. It’s crazy. But, you know, um I couldn’t dream, you know, when I first started taking golf seriously that I’d get to this level that I’m at now.
You say your first tournament was perhaps June 2005. It was around about exactly the same time that Michael Campbell was winning the US Open at Pinehurst. Did that have an impact on you?
Definitely. I mean the whole our whole country stopped when Cambo won that US Open. Like I loved golf at that point.
Like I used to watch golf religiously. I played
like you know junior pennants and stuff for our club but it was never serious. it was, you know, I got a rugby game on Saturday, I’ll turn up on Sunday, something’s going to hurt and I’ll see if I can, you know, shoot 75 and might scratch a win or something like that. It was never serious. And, you know, 2005 was when I started taking it seriously. And yeah, I I think Cambo winning definitely had Yeah.
a bit to do with that. Um, you know, and I was lucky early on in my career, you know, through dad. Dad knew Cambo well enough that I actually got to sit down and chat to Cambo not that long after that win. maybe a year or so and you know I was like a kid in a candy store at that point. You know look
just looking up to an idol kind of googling and going well this is this is amazing and actually
you know after half an hour or so could actually feel like I could ask him some questions about what it was like down the stretch taking on Tiger and stuff like that and he was he was awesome and he was you know pretty helpful early on in my career with that kind of stuff as well. I got to know him pretty well and have seen him around in Europe a bunch of times as well and it’s great to see him back playing again after
yeah you had a pretty tough tough period and um you he was he’s awesome. He is great and did
I’ll tell you I’ll tell you where I was pretty much as he hauled that winning put at Pinehurst. I had just touched down at Christ Church airport
because I just I just finished my law degree funny enough. That’s another thing we’ve got in common. And I was going out to the Lions tour and I just touched down in Christ Church and we were about to start driving the length of the South Island to get to Inver Cargle to watch the Southlands game which is even as an Irishman that is the coldest I’ve ever been in my life.
Yep. It is pretty brutal down there.
So there you go. I was on New Zealand soil when
Yeah. I mean it literally stopped the country.
Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. I remember I I was at uni at that point and Yeah. I did not go to class on Monday.
It was
Yeah, it was amazing.
You touched upon the sort of hand eye coordination which is obviously in the genes. Do you think sort of performing under pressure is something that is in the genes or something you’ve learned from your old man? Um I mean I have no idea if there’s a genetic component to it at all, but yeah.
Um I did learn a lot from dad growing up. Um, you know, he was he caddy for me a lot when I was coming through golf. He coached every rugby team that I ever was part of. Yeah. Even as just a little assistant role or something. So, you know, that was pretty cool. You know, I was playing first of rugby at Kings College and he was our assistant coach while he was also assistant coach of the Blues. So, we had some pretty good knowledge there and he was always my goal kicking coach as well. I never help obviously I didn’t help myself. I play the same position. and I kick tried to kick goals as well and I was never ever going to live up to that name. But like I the the idea of um you know the routine process like the breathing stuff it was I got the like psychology of it without you know hearing it from a psychologist basically.
Yeah.
You know dad I used to get the how the hell does a you know plus4 handicapper hit that shot. dad didn’t quite that work that out quickly but he always was really good under pressure and you know he was very calm obviously he kept kicked a lot of goals to win matches and you know I think there’s a lot of parallels in that you know rugy’s not similar when the ball’s in play but in terms of standing there you know that rugby ball’s not moving on the tea you’ve got to visualize it and do everything yourself and you theoretically can control everything that’s going on there’s a lot of similarities in that And yeah, dad was dad was very very helpful there. And um I learned a lot through osmosis and a lot through him telling me stuff. Probably a lot through him yelling at me and telling you you’re doing this wrong. And as a teenage boy kind of, yeah, don’t worry about that. I don’t care. And then it gets in there eventually like actually yeah, he was right. Damn it. So yeah, like I I I was definitely uh blessed, lucky, whatever you want to call it in that space growing up. And I also had access to a lot of people that I wouldn’t have had otherwise. You know, like guys like John Kerwin who
um you know, he he’s uh been a huge advocate for mental health um around men’s mental health, but you know, he went through depression and while he was playing and you know, got to have a chat to him about like how we dealt with that kind of stuff when I’ve gone through a couple of tough periods. um you know got to sit down with Steve Hansen a few times and go through how he what he did with the All Blacks and that was when dad was a selector and some of the stuff that he did was amazing. um you know how they used to deal with pressure and like he used a term like red heads and blue heads and red heads are angry and you know impulsive and blue heads are calm collected make the right decisions and there was lots of stuff like that that I got through dad that as I said I wouldn’t have got otherwise. So you know I was very lucky growing up in that respect. Are we at the stage yet where he’s walking about and he gets referred to as Ryan Fox’s dad rather than you being Grant Fox’s boy?
It’s definitely close now, I reckon. Maybe just maybe just cuz he’s, you know, he’s 30 odd years out of playing for the All Blacks and a lot of the current generation don’t really remember.
Um, but yeah, it’s definitely definitely getting close. I know he’s getting asked for a whole lot more signed stuff from me than he’s had to sign lately at least.
Wow. probably equally the proudest and saddest moment of his life that when his son finally steps out of his shadow and usurps him. But
no, I I don’t think there’s any sadness to it. I think he’s pretty proud and you know he
he was he never pushed me into anything growing up. Like I wanted to play sport. I always wanted to be a sportsman. I didn’t have a clue what sport it was going to be for quite a long time obviously, but
I just never saw myself doing anything else. I love sport. I still love watching sport. cricket, rugby,
tennis. Um,
you know, I’ve unfortunately started to watch a few American sports now as well. Starting to get into them. You don’t really have a choice when you’re over here.
Yeah.
They don’t they don’t they don’t like our traditional sports uh that the Commonwealth play.
Um, so yeah, it’s uh you many times I’ve tried explaining cricket to Americans and you just they don’t just give up after a while.
Yeah. So yeah, I I you know, dad always just wanted to me to be the best I could be at whatever I chose to be. And
you know, I I feel like I might have accomplished that now. Well, getting close to accomplishing that now.
I think you’re doing pretty well. And look, two-time winner of the PJ tour this year, but before that, you’ve done some pretty cool things as well. When you win at iconic venues like Wentworth, like St. Andrews, are you able to appreciate that in the time or will it be in a few years when you sort of sit back and think, “Yeah, that’s pretty cool.” I mean, there’s basically two of the most famous golf courses in the world. I’ve won around them both.
Yeah. I mean, had enough time to process them. Um
Yeah. Yeah.
You definitely get the feel of something special coming down St. Andrews. Um it’s that might be the the most intimidating golf course to come down the stretch at with a lead just because one side of the golf course is absolutely fine and the other side is just pure death. Like that 17th hole with a lead just sucks completely. But you still feel like well we’re at St. Andrews this is really cool and um you know you get whis like straight after with the trophy sitting on the swen bridge and everything like that. So you get you get the whole thing of like wow this is just amazing and you know it’s not an open championship but hey I I can say when I finished my career I won a tournament at St. Andrew was like that’s that’s pretty hard to beat and obviously went with um you know that’s such an iconic event on the DP World Tour and I probably didn’t realize how well respected that event was worldwide until I actually came over here like you know it’s huge in Europe but the amount of questions you get around Wentworth over here like oh what’s the golf course like that that looks like such an awesome event I’d love to come and play it and you you you know you know when you’re playing it that it’s a big event but you feel a little bit like you know oh it’s just in the UK or whatever but it’s it’s so respected worldwide and I’ve probably got a greater appreciation of it now.
Um and that was probably never a golf course I felt like I compete round. I’ never I think I’d had one top 20 there in like seven attempts before winning.
Yeah. Um but yeah, like to turn up the year after in 24 and see my my face plastered all over the back of that. Yeah, that that that’s when it comes to you’re like, “Oh man, okay, this is actually that actually did happen. That was pretty cool.” Um, you know, like I think a Canadian Open trophy is kind of the same is that you look at the names that are on that
and you’re like, wow, there is,
you know, Dunhill’s the same, but
you know, I think the first name I saw when I looked at the Wentworth trophy was Arnold Palmer. You’re like,
okay, yeah, that’s if I’m on a trophy that Arnold Palmer’s on, I must have done something right. Yeah. So
yeah, there it’s pretty cool to have that as a little bit of golf history.
Just to sort of push ahead to this summer, big summer coming up and you’ve already sort of said how much you love Royal Port Rush. You must be licking your lips to get back there. You did well there in 2019.
Yeah. Yeah. I had a like backdoor top 20. I shot two under on Sunday in that horrific weather and um
yeah,
made up a lot of spots in the clubhouse while I was having a glass of wine. Um yeah, I I think I’m really looking forward to that. It’s just one of my, as I said, one of my favorite golf courses anywhere in the world. Um, yeah.
Yeah. It’s just it’s got a the place has got a cool vibe about it. I thought that, you know, we played a few times up there. You Irish Open at Port Stewart. Um, you know, the the open at Port Rush. The the crowds are amazing. Um, looking forward to heading back. Um, I love that style of golf.
Yeah.
As well, I love the creativity needed, the imagination needed to play Lynx golf. You can, there’s no right or wrong shot to hit. you can kind of for the most part do whatever you want. Um, obviously you you’ve you get the other side of it where you could get the wrong side of the draw and happen to play in 50 mph winds while the other side gets flat calm conditions. But that’s kind of the beauty of Lynx golf as well. You just never know what you’re going to get. And I’m looking forward to that. Plus getting out of 30 something degrees and humid in Florida for for a few weeks is going to be real nice.
Don’t know what you’re talking about. It’s always 30 degrees and sunshining in Northern Ireland. Oh, I I actually heard it’s pretty good up there at the moment, isn’t it?
Yeah. Yeah, I imagine it is. Yeah. Um I always think of you as someone that plays well in Ireland actually because we’ve spoken about, you know, being runner up in Bali lift and you won at Galor Castle on the challenge tour, didn’t you? I know that’s not Lynx golf, but um and where where was it where you had a hole in three, the most spectacular hole in three?
That was that was that was done Donald Scottish.
Oh, that was in Scotland. Okay. Yeah. But I feel like I’ve had almost every place you can have at the Irish Open without winning. Um, obviously lost in a playoff. I’ve think I finished second at the Mount Juliet, finished third
at the K Club. Um, didn’t play so well.
Ireland feeling basically like the closest thing to New Zealand outside of New Zealand. Is that’s what you feel?
If you if you if you take out the weather. Yeah, definitely. I mean, our weather’s not renowned for being real good, but um I’ve just told you that Inver Cargle is the most grim place I’ve ever been on the planet.
I’m from the I’m from the north. Our weather’s generally a little bit better than Invergle, but
yeah, it’s I don’t know. It feels like it does feel like I’m you know, the people are great. Um you know, the I love the style of golf up there. Um, it’s I tell it’s going to be nice going back to people appreciating golf shots. Like I think that’s the great thing about not just Ireland, Northern Ireland, the the whole UK. You can go out there and hit a five under 40 ft with a pin tuck behind a bunker and you get that nice little like, yep, that was a shot he was trying to hit. Like a little the little clap like that. Not the loud chairs or or someone yelling some obscenity at you from 50 yards. Um it’s like it’s just cool to play in front of those fans and that style of golf and um you know having fun and rugby and all of that stuff.
Crucially, do you do you enjoy playing again? This was going to be my next question.
Um enough. I’m I’m more a red wine man, so don’t hold that against me. But um we’re going to head up I’m heading up next week actually. We got a a week in Florida and we’re going to head up to to Port Rush a little early. hopefully get a practice round around there before the Scottish Open and just
enjoy the the surroundings up there. Go have a look at like Giants Causeway and stuff like that. I’ve played a bit of golf up there, but never actually seen much of it outside of the golf courses. So, going to take the family up there and have a bit of fun and and have a bit of a holiday. I feel like we’ve we’ve kind of earned one at the moment.
I love that. I love that you say that you you’ve you’ve earned a hold in and you’re going to be get battered by sideways wind and rain for for a week straight at Royal Port Rush, but you know
Yeah. But that’s kind of fun, too. If it was every week, you wouldn’t you’d get a little frustrated, but hey, it’s an open championship. Like that’s I think that’s what everyone wants to see. Well, maybe not the people that are there, but everyone on TV wants to see that.
Yeah, absolutely. We love seeing you guys get kicked at the teeth in Oakmont, and we want to see more of the same at Royal Oak for sure.
No, no, I don’t need to see Oakmont for a while. That place is amazing, but man, it’s hard.
Yeah, exactly. Listen, Foxy, thanks so much for your time. I really enjoyed the chat. Looking forward to seeing you at Royal Port Rush. And whether it’s a glass of red or a pint of Guinness, we’ll make sure to have a drink that week.
Thanks, Jamie. Thanks for having me, mate. Pleasure. Welcome back to the Sky Sports Golf Podcast presented by Callaway. And welcome back to Royal Singorts where we are today for final qualifying, one of four venues hosting final qualifying for the Open Championship, which is just a couple of weeks away. Now, let’s hear from the qualifiers here today. Starting with the man who topped qualifying, Dean Burmister.
I just love this golf course. Honestly, I’ve been coming here. I’ve got a really good friend who’s got a house close by and I’ve been coming here for quite a few years and came down for weekends with a family and stuff like that when we used to live in London. So, um yeah, I just love it here and and you know, when the wind came up, I kind of thought, well, I’ve played it enough in the wind to kind of know what to expect. And then it sort of shifted a little more out the side. It wasn’t its normal kind of straight in on that back nine, which made it a little easier. So yeah, I I mean I played absolutely phenomenal golf.
You clearly enjoy Lynx golf because you’ve got a decent open record as well. You were right in the mix at the halfway stage last year at Trune and I think three years ago at St. Andrews had had a great weekend to storm up the leaderboard as well.
Yeah, I do. I love Lynx golf. I think it’s the truest form of golf. Um it’s the most fun to play for sure. You know, couple T- shots I hit today look like they’re in the middle of the fairway and you get there and it’s on a side slope and now you’ve got to fight a wind or fight something. It’s just there’s always something going on and that’s what makes it truly special, you know. And yeah, the views are are no no joke around here either. I mean, it’s just a day like this just makes it special.
The views are pretty spectacular at Royal Port Rush as well. Have you been there before?
I haven’t. I know. Um I’ll have to lean on Shane and hopefully I can get into his ear a little bit to hear, you know, get a few tips. Um but yeah, it looked amazing when I watched it a few years ago. So I’m I’m looking forward to going up there and I know how special it is. So it’s exciting. As a man from that part of the world, I can’t promise you’ll get the same weather at Royal Port Rush for four days straight.
I’m definitely packing my waterproof, let’s put it that way. So, we’ll have to wait and see. I mean, you never know what it what it holds. I mean, last year at True and that Saturday afternoon was probably some of the toughest weather I’ve ever played in. And I watched Scotty Sheffer just flush it for a whole day. So, I learned something from that and and it was cool and um yeah, hopefully it pays dividends if I get up there to pull rush.
Well, congratulations. Well played today and we will be seeing you at Royal Port Rush. Well played, D.
Cheers. I can’t wait to get there.
Seb Cave heading to the open championship.
I know.
That must just be the best feeling.
Sounds crazy to think about it, but I actually spoke to dad about two weeks ago. I just missed two cuts on the amateur circuit, but felt like my game was like trending having played the British am here. Um, and I said, I think I’ve got a chance. If I can get my game and the driver going, I think I’ve got a good chance. And yeah, it’s it’s mental to think I’m going to be playing something that has been, like I said, a dream since since growing up. I mean, any major is great, but to play the open and and go and do that, it’s definitely um made my summer a little nicer, a lot nicer.
Yeah. With, I don’t know, five or six holes to go over your second round, were you refreshing the phone and sort of checking where you were in the scores or were you just head down and plug away? Actually, well, I just played away. I think when when it’s this windy, you just never know what’s going to happen. And I mean, to finish the way I finished, I kind of felt like it was written in the stars that I was going to going to make it. Um, so yeah, for
those don’t know what eagle birdie.
Yeah. And I just missed just left my birdie put Shaw on 18. But to finish the way I finished, I think even if I just missed out, I think I would have been happy to to go on to my next amateur event. Um, which I will not now be playing of the open. Um, so yeah, I’m just proud of myself and just and and and over the moon to to be playing a major.
How many times have you watched the Open Championship and dreamt of being there? Too many. Yeah,
too many sleepless nights about wanting to play it and and too many uh too many hours working hard to uh to get there. So, yeah, it’s going to be going to be a good experience. Ever been to Wilport Rush?
I’ve actually not. No, it’s one of the only like open venues I’ve never been to. So, I’ll get there early and uh yeah, have a bash at it and see what we can do.
You’re in for a treat. I mean, I’m biased, but it’s the best in the open road.
I’ve heard that as well from other people. So, yeah, I’m I’m looking forward to it. It’ll be be good.
Well done, Seth. Thanks a lot. Nathan Kimy, 12 years a professional and now playing your first major. That must sound incredible.
Yeah. Um yeah, I don’t know if I got any words for that right now. Um that was a stressful stressful day, stressful back n um yeah, pretty scrappy, but yeah, managed to get it done and yeah, first major just yeah, buzzing. Really looking forward to it.
You almost sort of chuckled in disbelief as your chip hit the pin on the 18th there.
Yeah, I know. just been like scrapping it around the back n just trying to cling on in that wind and then um yeah just kind of obviously over hit it a little bit but yeah like luckily just smashed into the flag stick to tap in range and I could thankfully just tap that one in and get in the clubhouse and get finished.
How many open championships have you watched and dreamt of being there yourself?
Oh I mean everyone since I was probably about five or six years old. Yeah. So um yeah watch it every every year. love tuning in and watching it and yeah to say I’ll be actually there playing this year would be uh pretty cool.
And there’s pretty cool story here as well because your girlfriend Lauren is also a professional golfer and won the British amateur at Royalport Rush.
Yeah, she did. So uh yeah, I’ll be definitely tapping her up for some uh some tips and some advice in the next couple of weeks before we go. But yeah, that’s uh pretty special that uh get to sort of share share some memories and experiences together. So it’ be cool.
Have you been there yourself?
I’ve never been there. never never kind of uh played played the Irish Open at Port Stewart next door one year and then um but yeah, never been to Port Rush itself. So yeah, looking forward to it.
Well, it’s a good person to have in your corner for some tips. Definitely 100%.
Curtis Snipes, there’s something about Royal Port Rush, your second open and your second one there. Yeah, I can’t even speak to be honest. Trying to hold it and not break down. You know, it’s been six years since I was back there. I’ve had a tough 18 months and tried so hard to just get my game back and feel I’m back to my old self.
What was it like coming down the stretch? So, were you were you aware of where you sort of sat in the mix?
I was going to be actually I didn’t even look to I thought obviously it was tough this afternoon so I knew the scores wouldn’t be as deep. Um didn’t think I’d be in second. I think I was at some point.
Um I didn’t really want to know. I just wanted to finish strong. I knew if I pick up a few I’ll have a chance. probably made I mean I missed it on 18 anyway but probably made that part a little easier but uh yeah if I knew I would have celebrated a bit more double on the 18th but yeah I didn’t know so thought that would be for the best
I can see how much it means you were the youngest man in the field in 2019 at Royal Port Rush so we’re we’re six years on there’s a little bit more golf under the belt since then but
certainly is yeah
what have those last six years been like
yeah it’s taught me a lot I mean I turned pro the year after and
you know anyone that I don’t think anyone said this career is easy but you know it’s the best life in the world but it’s tough you know so cutthroat And um you know I don’t regret turning pro when I did and I’ve learned so much over the last few years and especially last season you know I I couldn’t hit a golf course. It was pretty bad. And you know I’ve had some people stuck by me and you know keep supporting me. So yeah have helped me out. They’ve been massive.
And I suppose it’s one of those things when you’re at Port Rush six years ago when you’re 18 you sort of feel invincible and you think that you you can take on the world and you probably didn’t know what was around the corner then.
Yeah probably a little bit naive to be fair. Probably a little bit definitely. I mean you wouldn’t have thought that on the first two. I’ve never been so nervous in my life. So, kind of dreading reliving that moment, but also excited at the same time.
What’s it going to be like to be back there? What are your memories of 2019?
Rough’s pretty pretty thick. Stay out of the rub. Um, oh god. Yeah, it was a great week. I’ll have to meditate on it a little bit. I’m bit frazzled, but um it should be so much fun. Congratulations. We’ll look forward to seeing you.
Thank you. Appreciate it. Congrats to all the qualifiers here at Deal today. Elsewhere will Lee Westwood top qualifying at Dun Donald Links. What a story. so many times he’s been close to winning that clar jug. He is heading back to the open championship. That is just fantastic to see. Harry Hall was one of the qualifiers at Burnham and Barrow the Cornishman who’s already won on the PGA tour. And at West Lanc qualifying was topped by the Australian Lucas Herbert. So, congrats to all of those and all the other qualifiers. Now, for some of the news around the world of golf over this last week, Sergio Garcia has qualified for the Open by nabbing the spot available on live. Congratulations to him. Some sad news. This Eddie Pil was leading the Vray challenge on the Hotel Planetour through three rounds, but was then forced to withdraw with a back injury. Just desperately unfortunate for Ed. But he did give a fantastic interview on Saturday after his third round, which included nine birdies by the way. And you could hear just how happy he is with the way he’s playing at the moment, how he’s falling back in love with the game again. And hopefully good things are around the corner for Eddie. Congrats, by the way, to David Horsey, another of the games good guys who did win that event. This week on the PGA Tour, we have the John Deere Classic on the DP World Tour. It’s the BMW International Open in Munich. That’s the final event of the European Swing, and it’s a break for the ladies on the LPGA tour. They have their next major, the Evian Championship, next week, but they get a week off this week. That about does us for today. A huge thank you to Royal Sports for hosting us today in glorious sunshine. I’m very excited to be back down here, not once but twice later this summer to play this amazing golf course. Congratulations to all the guys who managed to qualify here today as well as indeed to all the guys who qualified at Donald, at Westls, and at Burnham and Barrow as well. We look forward to seeing them at Royal Port Rush, which really is just around the corner. Now, if you’ve liked what you’ve heard or watched today, make sure to give us a follow on Apple or Spotify, wherever you get your pods. While there, please do leave us a review and let us know what you think of the show. Thank you again to Callaway for sponsoring the podcast and thank you again for your time and I hope to see you this time next week.