Ryan Fox’s final birdie, which saw him through to the 154th Open Championship

Right up until the final hole, it looked like it was going to be Cameron Young’s day. Or perhaps Sam Burns’s. Instead, the 154th Open Championship crowned Ryan Fox as its champion. The New Zealander sank a birdie on the 72nd hole to claim the first Claret Jug of his career, becoming the third New Zealander to win a men’s major after Bob Charles and Michael Campbell, and the first to bring the Open Championship back to his country in sixty-three years.

For much of Sunday, the tournament saw the lead change hands repeatedly. Young, who carded a splendid 64, spent a long time in the clubhouse watching the leaderboard. Burns had started the day as the leader. Tommy Fleetwood had the English crowd on their feet. Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy remained in contention right up to the final holes. The Open, however, has a way of condensing four days of golf into a single shot. This time, it happened on the 18th.

Ryan Fox is not the most flamboyant champion of his generation. At thirty-nine, he had built his career with patience, racking up significant successes but no majors. At Royal Birkdale, he had the perfect week. His 62 on Saturday put him back in contention. On Sunday, he maintained the pace that makes him one of the fastest professionals on the tour. Whilst others faltered on the decisive shots, he did what he always does. He chose his club, struck the ball, and sank the putt. On Saturday, we described Royal Birkdale as a course that forces you to choose between two possible shots, and where the wind can be read in the tall grass even before it’s visible on the flags. Sunday confirmed that impression. It didn’t reward the most spectacular player, but the one who remained true to his own game when the tournament seemed to be slipping away from everyone. Born in Auckland, Ryan Fox is one of the fastest players on the tour. At Royal Birkdale, he didn’t change his rhythm even when facing the most important putt of his life. And so he claimed his first Claret Jug and brought the Open Championship back to New Zealand for the first time in sixty-three years.