SOUTHPORT, England (AP) 鈥� Ryan Fox of New Zealand survived a wild ride along the back nine of Royal Birkdale and delivered the biggest putt of his life Sunday, making a 12-foot birdie putt on the final hole to win the British Open for his first major title.
Four players had a share of the lead at some point Sunday. Cameron Young was atop the leaderboard for two hours without hitting a shot because he finished his astonishing 6-under 64 when the leaders were on the front nine.
Fox never lost hope, even after a pair of bogeys on the back, and the 39-year-old son of an All Blacks rugby player delivered the goods when it counted. He birdied the 16th to tie Young for the lead, and then made birdie on the toughest hole to become the third Kiwi to win a major.
Fox closed with a 2-under 68 and thrust both of those powerful arms into the air. His name will go on the base of that shiny claret jug, joining Bob Charles of New Zealand from 1963. Fox won for the 10th time worldwide, his biggest title before Sunday coming at the BMW PGA Championship in 2023.
Fox finished at 10-under 270.
PGA Tour/DP World Tour
PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic (AP) 鈥� Stefano Mazzoli of Italy won the Corales Puntacana Championship for his first PGA Tour victory, closing with a 6-under 66 for a one-stroke victory.
The 29-year-old Mazzoli was one 50 European tour players in the co-sanctioned event played opposite the British Open. He earned a PGA Tour card through 2027 and jumped from 127th to 39th in the DP World Tour鈥檚 Race to Dubai standings.
Four strokes behind Todd Clements entering the round on the windswept Corales course, Mazzoli made a 24-foot birdie putt on the par-4 18th to post at 20-under 268. He accepted PGA Tour membership after the round.
Clements, the English player who led after each of the first three days, had a 71 to tie for second with Gordon Sargent (67).
Clements played the final six holes in 3 over, making a double bogey on the par-4 13th and a bogey on the par-4 16th.
Other tours
Mateo Fern谩ndez de Oliveira of Argentina shot a 7-under 65 to win the Commissionaires Ottawa Open for his first PGA Tour Americas title. He finished at 23-under at The Marshes for a two-stroke victory. … Annabelle Pancake-Webb won the Epson Tour鈥檚 rain-shortened Greater Toledo Classic, shooting 66-67 for a one-stroke victory over Lauren Olivares and Mariel Galdiano. … Miyuu Abe won the Japan LPGA鈥檚 Meiji Yasuda Ladies by two strokes. She had weekend rounds of 64 and 63 to finish at 20 under.
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