Myrtle Beach, S.C. — New Zealand’s Ryan Fox chipped in from outside 50 feet in the first playoff hole to win the Myrtle Beach Classic on Sunday for his first PGA Tour title and returned to the PGA Championship.
Fox closed with a 5-under 66 that didn’t seem enough when Mackenzie Hughes came to the 18th hole in a one-shot lead.
Hughes had to pull the drive into the tree and pitch out, missing a 10-foot putt, missed a 67 putt, and made the playoffs with Fox and Harry Higgs at 15 under 269. Higgs shot 68.
Back on the 18th for the playoffs, Hughes and Higgs found the fairway, each watching birdies properly. Fox went from the green rough leaves to the right of the collar. He raised his arms as the tip fell for a birdie.
“I had a line that was very similar to the regulations and I missed the putt right,” Fox said. “My caddy, Dean (Smith), told me, ‘This won’t break that much.’ So I just aimed for it and hit where I wanted to hit it, it didn’t look like going anywhere else, and it’s a bit blurry from there. ”
Higgs and Hughes missed a birdie putt.
The 38-year-old Fox has won three European Tours, including the 2023 flagship BMW PGA Championship, and has ranked 23rd in the world. However, he still hadn’t recorded the top 10 on this year’s PGA Tour.
“It’s very rewarding,” Fox said. “I was probably not moving as far as I would have liked to go on the PGA Tour. Last year was a tough year. I was able to keep my cards up this year. It was a terrible start to this year. I always felt like I could compete here.
The PGA Championship held the spot on the field at Quazul Hollow for the winner of the Myrtle Beach Classic. This will be Fox’s fourth consecutive major. Hughes was already on the field.
The victory also gives Fox a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour, giving him a spot in Kapalua’s Sentry, which will start next year.