Fox clinched the Claret Jug with a nerveless birdie putt on the 72nd hole, prompting an emotional outburst from his long-time friend.
“I screamed as [soon as the putt] went in,” said Lydia. “I closed the door and I screamed. My husband ran out and was like, ‘what’s happening?’ Ten seconds later I was just crying.
“It was emotional for me. I can only imagine what it was like for him. Being only the second New Zealander on the men’s side [after Sir Bob Charles] to have won The Open is so special.
“For them to have both … won in this region is super exciting.”
It was a maiden major victory for Fox, something Lydia achieved at the Evian Championship in 2015 at the age of just 18.
She doubled her major tally at the ANA Inspiration the following year, marking herself out as one of golf’s leading lights.
A third major was achieved in 2024 just weeks after she won Olympic gold in Paris, and with it a place in the LPGA Hall of Fame.
And, inspired by her international team-mate Fox, Lydia explained that she was as hungry as ever to add to her major CV.