Private jets, exemptions and added pressure: What Ryan Fox’s major win at Royal Birkdale means

Wednesday, 22 July 2026

Ryan Fox’s memory of the conversation is a little hazy.

Fresh from being crowned Champion Golfer of the Year, and before he celebrated into the small hours of the following morning, he was informed what his triumph at Royal Birkdale meant.

There was, of course, the US$3.2 million (NZ$5.4 million) he pocketed, a big boost up the world rankings, and a stack of FedExCup points.

Then there’s the exemptions, making it a heck of a lot easier to plan his golfing schedule moving forward, as he said.

“It's completely life changing, and I've got no idea what it means at this point, but it's going to change a few things for me,” Fox told Stuff.

“It's going to make my life a lot easier in a golfing sense, in terms of picking a schedule, I know where I'm going to be able to play.”

After making a clutch birdie on the unforgiving and spiteful No 18 to become the fourth Kiwi to taste major success, here’s what it means for the 39-year-old.

Exemptions

To think it’s less than two years ago that Fox was fighting to retain his PGA Tour card.

Now, the Aucklander is a three-time winner on the PGA Tour and major champion, opening doors everywhere he looks after his victory earned him five-year memberships on both the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour.

For starters, he can compete at The Open through his 55th birthday, an exemption which changed to age 55 for winners in 2024 and later. Prior to 2024, winners were exempt until 60.

“I can't say I was planning to play until I was 55, so I've got a few things to think about there,” Fox said.

Fox also has also punched a ticket to the other three majors - The Masters, PGA Championship and US Open - and The Players Championship for the next five years.

A career-best world ranking

Fox has surged to a career-best 22nd in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Ranked 56th before pulling off the biggest positional comeback in major championship history, Fox was the first player outside the top 50 to win the Open since Northern Irishman Darren Clarke conquered Royal St George in 2011 when he was ranked 111th.

Fox’s previous career high was No 23 in 2022, after he won the the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at the famed St Andrews course on the DP World Tour.

Players in the top 25 are typically eligible for PGA Tour’s Signature events, non-cut tournaments with elevated prize purses and FedExCup points on offer.

Presidents Cup

It’s no secret Fox has long desired the opportunity to compete at a Presidents Cup.

He’s looks sure to do so in September, when Brandt Snedeker captains the US against Geoff Oglivy’s International team at the Medinah Country Club in Illinois.

Composed of 12 players, the top six automatic qualifiers for the International team are based on the world rankings as of August 31, after the Tour Championship.

As it stands, Fox is currently ranked second behind only Si Woo Kim (world No 18). Australian Min Woo Lee, Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, South Korean Tom Kim and Canadian Corey Conners make up the rest of the top six.

The rest of the International team will be captain’s picks.

“I’d be a little bit worried if I wasn't in the team now….I would say I should be safe for that. It's even a little bit sweeter to earn my way on to that team and not be a captain's pick,” Fox said.

FedEx Cup and Race to Dubai standings

Fox’s haul of 750 FedExCup points improved him to 21st on the season-long points competition, guaranteeing him a spot in the season finale and allowing him to take a couple of weeks off.

The FedExCup culminates with the Tour Championship next month, and features the top 30 players in the standings. The winner earns US$10 million.

On the DP World Tour, Fox is ranked fifth in the season-long Race to Dubai rankings, which is led by Patrick Reed, followed by Rory McIlroy.

It culminates with the world tour playoffs in November, when the top 70 players in the standings contest the Abu Dhabi Championship.

The field is cut to 50 for the season finale, with the winner of the DP World Tour Championship pocketing US$3 million.

Fox’s career earnings on the PGA Tour is US$12.4 million.

Private jets

It’s not uncommon for top golfers to utilise private jets in a bid to make their hectic travel schedule a little more comfortable.

Fox, who moved his family to Jupiter, Florida last year, has already travelled via private jet this year, and admits it will likely be a more common method moving forward.

“You literally, you know, drive to the door of the plane, chuck everything in the back, jump on, and you take off,” he told Newstalk ZB.

“There’s a car at the other end, and literally that car’s right out the door of the plane. You put everything in and drive off. No security, no nothing. It does make everything easy.”

It’s not all positive

Michael Campbell can speak from experience.

Winning a major is life changing. Sure, there’s positives, such as the exemptions, but there’s also negatives, the Kiwi 2005 US Open champion said.

“He’s set for the next 10 years or so, which is great, but the negatives…he’s going to be under more pressure, expectations go through the roof,” Campbell told Stuff.

“He will be living in the fish bowl, he will be pulled left, right and centre to do things. A lot of media commitments from now on, definitely every single tournament he plays in, he will be interviewed every single day.

“It's just the way it is, it's part of the package, you've got to expect that.”