Follow us on Google Discover Ryan Fox has revealed that Justin Thomas told him to remember all of the details from his Open Championship victory in the hope that it could benefit him later in his career.
Fox became one of the most popular winners in a long time with his dramatic victory at Royal Birkdale back in July. The New Zealander produced a superb performance on Sunday in Southport – including making an amazing birdie on the 72nd hole – to secure his first major title.
The 39-year-old had never even registered a top-10 finish in a major before his triumph at The Open. With that, he is set to make his first appearance for the International Team at the Presidents Cup later this month.
What Justin Thomas told Ryan Fox after his Open Championship victory
There is no question that Fox is one of the most well-liked players on tour, so it is no surprise that he received a raft of messages from many of his peers after lifting the Claret Jug.
And speaking to the media ahead of the BMW PGA Championship – an event he won back in 2023 – Fox spoke about some of those who reached out after his victory.
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“I’ve had a lot of cool messages come through. Adam Scott sent me a great one but I’m not going to repeat it,” he said.
“I had a really good message from Justin Thomas about remembering all the little things because you never know when you are going to need it down the road. I thought that was a great nugget of advice.
“Got a message from Kelly Slater which is pretty cool. I met Kelly once eight or nine years ago at a Dunhill. For him to reach out like that was cool. I had a lot of people do the same.”
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Ryan Fox lauds fellow major champion Aaron Rai
Fox’s victory at The Open was not the only surprise win for one of the game’s most likeable figures this year, with Aaron Rai lifting the PGA Championship after a brilliant final round at Aronimink.
Rai appears to have absolutely no interest in putting himself in the spotlight, so it was extremely satisfying to watch the way so many players on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour lauded him in the wake of his win in Philadelphia.
And Fox has now added to the plaudits coming Rai’s way.
“I think Aaron is genuinely one of the most pleasant and nicest people you’ll ever meet. First time I played with Aaron was an Open Qualifying at Woburn in I want to say like 2015 maybe,” he said.
“Yeah, feels like he hasn’t changed at all to this day, even though he’s accomplished a lot. He always gives everyone his time. I love the fact that he’s just himself. He doesn’t worry about anything else. He’s got his sort of quirks and some other people would have maybe changed a little bit over the years. But he’s always kept his manners.
“I think the other thing I would say about him is I think he’s one of the hardest workers anywhere, I would argue in any sport but definitely in golf. Everyone was very happy for him at the PGA Championship, and you see how hard he works. You see he deserves it, and the way he did it was impressive. He’s carried himself so well since that achievement, and he’s the same person he was before the PGA Championship. It’s a testament to him and his family, the way he was brought up.
“He’s genuinely one of the nicest, most pleasant people you’ll ever meet and he’s got time for everyone.”
Rai was one of the players who finished one shot adrift of Fox at Wentworth back in 2023, so both players will fancy their chances of a second notable victory this season over the coming days.
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