Ryan Fox produces the shot of his life to win Canadian Open and $3 million after lengthy playoff
Monday, 9 June 2025
New Zealand golfer Ryan Fox has claimed his second PGA Tour title in a month and a spot at this weekend’s US Open after outlasting American Sam Burns to win the Canadian Open on the fourth hole of a sudden death playoff.
Fox had never won on the PGA Tour until the Myrtle Beach Classic five weeks ago.
“It’s crazy, the last four weeks I’ve played some of the best golf I’ve ever played. To get a couple of wins on the PGA Tour in a month is pretty surreal to be honest,” Fox said after his latest triumph on Monday (NZT).
After 75 holes could not separate the pair, Fox produced what he described as the shot of his life to set himself up for victory on the fourth playoff hole; a 259-yard effort with his three-wood that landed six yards from the hole, giving himself two putts for the win.
Fox missed the eagle putt but nailed the birdie from one foot to clinch the victory.
Fox will bank just shy of $3 million with the Canadian Open win, 500 FedEx Cup points, a spot in next week’s US Open, starts at next year’s Players Championship, Masters and PGA Championship, as well as PGA Tour exemption through till the end of 2027.
He is the second Kiwi to win the men's Canadian Open, after Sir Bob Charles in 1968.
Burns should have had it all wrapped after one playoff hole but he missed from five feet.
“Obviously Sam let me off there the first time round,” Fox admitted.
Fox won the Myrtle Beach Classic last month by chipping in for birdie to win a three-man playoff. This one on the TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley took a little longer.
“To be honest, Sam and I had a bit of a pillow fight for three holes,” Fox said. “But that shot I hit on 18, that 3-wood, was probably the best shot I've ever hit. It would have been nice to make the putt. But hey, I'll take it.”
Fox forced a playoff with Burns after making a clutch 16-foot birdie putt on the final hole in front of Chris Wood and the All Whites, who spent their day off cheering on their countryman following their victory over Ivory Coast on Sunday.
Fox and Burns finished at 18-under, Fox after carding a 4-under 66 after Burns had finished some two hours earlier with a birdie on the final hole for a 62.
They played the 18th four more times — the PGA Tour moved the pin position from far left to front right after two extra holes — and there was nothing compelling about the extra holes.
Burns, regarded as one of the best putters on the PGA Tour, had a birdie putt from just over 5 feet on the first playoff for the win. He left that out to the right. The next time down 18, Fox went for the green and pushed his 3-wood. The collar of rough stopped it from going in the water. He pitched to 12 feet and had that birdie putt for the win, but left it a foot short.
Pillow fight, indeed.
On the third time playing the 18th in overtime, Burns had a lob wedge that was short and to the right, spinning off the green and nearly into the water. Fox hit his 40 feet out to the right. They both made par.
Fox delivered the goods on the final hole and now has two wins in just over a month. The victory moved the 38-year-old Fox from No 75 to No 32 in the world, getting him into the US Open next week for being among the top 60 in the world ranking.
Kevin Yu birdied the last hole for a 66 to finish alone in third, one shot out of the playoff. He narrowly missed out on the top 60 to get to Oakmont next week. But Yu joined Cameron Young and Matt McCarty as earning the top three spots for the British Open next month for players not already eligible.
Fox already was in the British Open from his victory in the BMW PGA Championship in 2023, the flagship event on the European tour. Fox now has eight wins worldwide — two on the PGA Tour, four on the European tour and two on the PGA Tour of Australasia.
Burns was hopeful of ending more than two years without a victory, his last title coming in the final year of the World Golf Championships-Match Play in 2023.
Young shot a 65 to tie for fourth. He was within range of Burns when Young made an incredible par on the 17th, going from the trees on the right to mangled left on the rough, gouging that out to 15 feet and making the putt.
But needing birdie on the par-5 closing hole to catch Burns, the clubhouse leader at the time, Young flushed a 3-wood into the breeze and over the green into the trees, leaving him virtually no shot. It took two to get on the green and he made bogey to finish two shots behind.
“I couldn’t have hit two better shots on the last hole. I don’t hit 3-wood that far, and it’s blowing straight into the wind, and it decided to bounce all the way to the back woods,” Young said. “I thought in the air I was going to have about a 12-footer to win the tournament, and it ended up somewhere I was going to struggle to make par, let alone make a 4. Pretty upset.”