Ryan Fox hits from the bunker during the second round of the US Open at Pinehurst No 2. Photo / AP

Ryan Fox set for change of scenery

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Author: Christopher Reive,
Publish Date: Wed, 26 Jun 2024, 4:26pm

Ryan Fox is set for a change of scenery.

This year, Fox has spent the majority of his time in the United States competing in his first campaign as a fully-fledged member of golf’s PGA Tour.

However, this weekend’s Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit will be his last for more than a month, and likely his penultimate hitout on US soil before the tour gets to the business end, with a return to Europe on the cards.

“I’ve got The Open [July 18-21], I’m going to go and play the BMW International in Germany next week, the Scottish Open [July 11-14] after that, then the plan is to hang around for Paris,” Fox told the Herald.

“I’m still waiting on selection confirmation, but from my side of things I’ve qualified, so hopefully the NZOC select me. I don’t know how that process works but hopefully I find out about that pretty soon.”

After a stretch in which he played 11 tournaments in 12 weeks, Fox has had two of the last three weeks out of action, with the US Open at Pinehurst No 2 the middle of that trio.

It was a tournament that tested many athletes, however, Fox did enough to see the weekend – making the cut for the seventh time in as many attempts at a major.

“I’m not sure if I learned much about my golf game that week, but there was enough good stuff to know that the game’s still very close,” he said.

“I had been struggling with my chipping a little bit and found a bit of confidence in that over the weekend especially; had a couple of really nice chips from some pretty tough places, so hopefully that’s a good sign going forward and it was just nice to play another week in a major.

Ryan Fox hits from the bunker during the second round of the US Open at Pinehurst No 2. Photo / AP

“It was seven in a row for me. So hopefully I can keep that streak going in a few weeks at The Open as well.”

While there is another PGA Tour event on the schedule between The Open and the Olympics, Fox planned to remain in Europe after the last major of the season, should he get confirmation of his spot.

“The plan is to stay over for the opening ceremony if I get it, then come back and play the Wyndham Championship the week after the Olympics and, if I play well enough, then into the [top 70] playoffs, basically.”

The Herald understands the New Zealand Olympic Committee is close to confirming the athletes who will represent New Zealand in golf at the Olympics, with an official announcement expected in the next fortnight.

By event qualification standards, both Fox and Daniel Hillier have met the required mark to earn a spot in the men’s field, while Lydia Ko and Momoka Kobori have qualified for the women’s field.

However, the NZOC has its own selection criteria in which selectors must be satisfied the athlete is capable of a top-16 finish, with the potential to win an Olympic diploma (certificate awarded to top eight finishers), as well as having a track record of sufficient quality and depth to back that prospect up.

In determining that, selectors look at their results on the PGA/LPGA Tour, DP World Tour and Ladies’ European Tour, and events co-sanctioned with these tours.

In the final Olympic rankings released by the International Golf Federation, Fox came in at No 27, with Hillier No 45. Both have shown their abilities on the top tours, having won events on the DP World Tour, while Fox has three top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour this season.

In the women’s rankings, former world No 1 Ko qualified at No 16, while Kobori was at No 55 – earning a spot in the top 60 on the back of some strong form on the Ladies’ European Tour, where she sits at No 18 on the Order of Merit.