All Whites become sports fans to cheer on Ryan Fox at Canadian Open
Monday, 9 June 2025
The All Whites traded the football field for the golf green to cheer on fellow New Zealand sportsman Ryan Fox during the Canadian Open.
Less than 24 hours after upsetting Ivory Coast for their best result in 15 years, New Zealand’s men’s national football team turned up at the TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley to support Fox through a dramatic four-hole sudden-death playoff.
All Whites players, including captain and star striker Chris Wood, made numerous appearances on the international television broadcast and were seen cheering wildly as Fox made a clutch birdie putt on the 18th hole to force a playoff with American Sam Burns.
The son of former All Black Grant Fox, Fox admitted after his Canadian Open win that he followed rugby closer than football but said it was “really cool” to share the moment with some fellow New Zealanders.
“I would say I’m more of an All Blacks fan than an All Whites fan given my history but they’ve provided us with some great entertainment over the years and I remember staying up in the middle of the night in the last World Cup they were in,” Fox said.
“I feel like as a country we’ve always punched well above our weight in sport and football, soccer, whatever I’m supposed to call it over here, we do pretty well in that regard.
“To meet the guys afterwards and get the chance to congratulate them on their win, I know it was a big win for them last night, and to be able to share my win with them was really cool.
“There’s a lot of Kiwis doing pretty good things in sport around the world and we all root for each other and it was cool to just be together in that moment.”
Some of the All Whites were attending their first-ever PGA Tour event and they rode every emotion as Fox watched Burns miss a five-foot putt for glory on the first hole of the playoff before the New Zealand golfer produced the shot of his life to set himself up for victory on the fourth.
“It’s been amazing, seeing a fellow countryman doing what he’s doing on the world stage,” defender Tommy Smith said in an interview with the PGA Tour website.
“That finish on the 18th was brilliant to witness.”
After watching Fox’s dramatic victory, his second playoff win on the PGA Tour in five weeks, the All Whites got the chance to congratulate the winner in person.
Wood posted a photo to his Instagram with the players and Fox. The caption read: “Unbelievable golf from this man. Congrats champ”.
From the All Whites to Fox, it’s been a successful couple of days for New Zealand sportsmen in Toronto.
The footballers stunned reigning African champions Ivory Coast 1-0 at BMO Field on Sunday thanks to a first-half strike from wide midfielder Elijah Just.
After spending their day off at the golf, it will be back to business tomorrow for the All Whites as they prepare for their second match of the Canadian Shield tournament, against Ukraine on Wednesday morning (NZT).
It’s unlikely Fox will hang around to repay the favour. He now has a US Open to gear up for this weekend after gaining a last-minute spot at the major championship following his second PGA Tour win of the year.