Ryan Fox’s shot from 255 yards on the fourth playoff hole at the Canadian Open wasn’t just a swing; it was the ultimate payoff. At 38, the PGA Tour win, following his maiden victory at Myrtle Beach, cemented his status. It's a victory for the late bloomer who, unlike golf's prodigies, took the long road to the top, proving that determination is vital for survival on the journey there.
Fourth playoff hole. Par-5 18th at TPC Toronto, 255 yards from the pin. Ryan Fox pulls his 3-wood, knowing this is his chance to end it.
The swing is sweet, his sweetest ever. The crowd inhales collectively – they know this is an audacious shot, flirting with the water hazards surrounding the 18th green. Fox is also silent, barely breathing as his shot travels 259 yards, tracing a perfect arc against the Canadian sky, sitting up just seven feet from the pin.
Five months on, he confirms it was the shot of his life, setting up a birdie putt to win the Canadian Open. This win followed his maiden PGA victory at Myrtle Beach. That single stroke was the culmination of years of hard mahi and validation for a late bloomer in a sport dominated by prodigies. Fox had spent over a decade grinding through the DP World Tour, battling injuries, uprooting his family, and chasing a dream that often felt out of reach.
Now, at 38, he's living the dream he once thought had slipped away: a PGA Tour win, a top 50 world ranking, and a schedule packed with golf's biggest stages. But for Fox, success has never been about the money or the fame. It's about the competition, the perfect shot under pressure, and proving to himself that he belongs among the best.
Unlike many of today's stars who were prodigies at 18, Fox didn't pick up tournament golf until after he finished high school.
“I joined a club at 13, but it was just casual,” he recalls. “I played rugby and cricket seriously. But golf was something I did on Sundays with mates.”
But by his late teens golf had become his number one game. If there was pressure from being the son of an All Black great, it didn't come from Grant Fox, who backed the move to the sport.
"Once I decided that golf was my thing, it was like, as long as you give it a crack and you're happy with the effort you give, then it doesn't matter if you if you succeed or fail.”
After leaving school, Fox started a law degree at Auckland University but quickly realised it wasn't for him. He needed competition, and golf filled that void.
“I got down to scratch, played one tournament, and thought, ‘I love this’. From there, I was all in,” he says.
Turning pro at 25, Fox faced the steep climb through the ranks.
“Getting on tour is hard and keeping your card that first year is even harder. You're playing against guys who've seen these courses a dozen times, so you're at a disadvantage.”
By 35, Fox thought maybe this is as good as it gets. Then came 2022 – a breakout year. Two wins on the DP World Tour, a climb into the world's top 50, and starts on the PGA Tour. Suddenly, the dream felt possible.
But 2024 brought upheaval. Fox moved his family to the United States to chase PGA Tour status, leaving behind the familiar rhythms of European Golf.
“We'd figured out life in Europe – where to live, what events to play. And then suddenly, everything was new. It was tough.”
An untimely hip injury compounded the challenge.
“I tore a labrum in my right hip. No pain walking, but I couldn't make the moves I needed in my swing. I got into bad habits.”
Months of rehab followed. Then came Myrtle Beach in 2025 – the week where everything clicked.
“I'd played the course before, and I felt comfortable. Suddenly, I had a chance to win. For the first time in 18 months, I wasn't worried about anything on the golf course.”
Fox won in a playoff, chipped in for victory, and secured his PGA Tour future.
“That week changed my life. After that, I was playing on house money.”
Golf may look glamorous from a distance, and on screen, with today’s fans taken behind the scenes of the golfing lifestyle in the Netflix documentary series, Full Swing. But Fox is quick to dispel the myth.
“Full Swing shows the extremes – the private jets, the millions off the course. But that's not reality for most of us," he says. “You're effectively running your own business. Coaches, physios, managers – they're all on your payroll. I spend well over a million dollars a year doing what I do.”
Early in his career, Fox bunked with other players, stayed in budget hotels, and lived from week to week.
“Miss five or six cuts in a row, and you're burning ten grand a week. It's brutal. Sponsors help, but the pressure is real. You're gambling on yourself. Play well, and you do great. Play badly, and it goes south fast.”
He’s candid about the changing face of Golf.
“It's become incredibly physical. Ten years ago, a ball speed of 190 miles an hour was rare. Now it's common. Technology plays a role, but fitness is the big shift. Bryson DeChambeau took it to the extreme, but now every young guy trains for speed,” he says.
And he admits he’s starting to feel his age.
“I'd certainly like to have been a little bit younger. I'm 38 heading towards 39. I'm definitely an elder statesman on tour, even though next year will be like my third full year. The peak used to be mid-30s. Now it's early 20s. It's harder to compete as you get older. But I've got enough speed to compete. Mentally, I'm in a good place.”
For Fox, success isn't just measured in trophies. It's about balance.
“My kids are getting older. I don't want to miss that. I want to take advantage while I can, but not at the cost of family.”
And money certainly isn't the motivator.
“I couldn't care less about the pay cheque when I win. It's about the shot – hitting the exact shot you pictured under pressure. That's what makes you come back.”
With job security through 2028 and a schedule packed with majors and iconic events – Bay Hill, Memorial, The Masters – Fox is setting new goals.
“I’d love to play in a Presidents Cup. That's a big X on my career so far.”
And world ranking?
“Top 20 would be amazing. I don't think it's out of reach."
Fox admits golf can mess with your head.
“I've had times where I cared too much and played badly. Coming down the stretch, everything goes quiet. It's just, 'Where's my target? Hit it.' I wish I could get to that place without the pressure. The best golf I've played is when I've had no fear of failure.”
At Myrtle Beach, that was the mindset.
“I'd achieved a major goal. The rest was Christmas.”
As 2026 arrives, Fox is taking a well-earned break.
“I could play events now, but I'd rather come home, spend time with family, and get ready for next year.”
With confidence restored and new dreams in sight, he's ready for the next chapter.\
“If you'd told me 14 years ago, I'd be here, I'd have taken your hand off. But now? I know I can beat the best. I just have to go do it.”