Fresh off a thrilling finish at Royal Birkdale which saw him hoist the Claret Jug, Ryan Fox joins Smylie Kaufman and Charlie Hulme to relive his first major win at the 2026 Open Championship — only the fourth Kiwi to win a major, and the first to bring the Claret Jug home to New Zealand since Bob Charles in 1963. Fox walks through his major championship record-tying 62 on Saturday (and the improbable fairway bunker shot on 18 that capped it off), the driver decision on the 13th that swung his Sunday momentum, an incredible approach at 16, and the nerves he felt reading the winning birdie putt on 18.

Plus: A brand new Srixon driver responsible for some of the most clutch shots he hit all week + the Z-STAR ball that gave him an edge over the rest of the field in the windy conditions, his dad Grant Fox's legendary All Blacks career and 1987 Rugby World Cup win, New Zealand's golf course boom, whether a PGA Tour event or Presidents Cup could ever land in New Zealand, and a detour into Fox's Bordeaux-heavy wine cellar.

Before all that: the saga of getting the real and replica Claret Jugs through airport security and onto the flight home — including an awkward moment in line next to runner-up Cameron Young.

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Chapters

0:00 Intro & Ryan Fox's dad, All Blacks legend Grant Fox
2:39 Has life changed since becoming Champion Golfer of the Year?
3:39 New Zealand's 4th major champion & ending a 63-year Claret Jug drought
4:29 The Claret Jug's wild flight home
9:19 Echoes of Hideki Matsuyama's Masters travels
10:19 Friday's grind just to make the cut
12:12 Saturday's record-tying 62
13:14 The bunker shot and putt that closed out the 62
18:29 The 13th hole driver gamble and riding the wave of momentum
23:24 The approach at 16 and feeling the crowd's energy
29:03 Composure and nerves on the 18th green
32:45 The backstory on Ryan's putter
34:42 No snakes in New Zealand???
35:57 The 2014 Muriwai Open and New Zealand's links golf
38:00 The 2021 Muriwai win with Steve Williams caddying
39:48 Touring New Zealand's booming golf course scene
42:50 Could the PGA Tour — or a Presidents Cup — come to New Zealand?
46:25 Wine talk: Bordeaux, Hawke's Bay, and the Claret Jug
48:23 Sign-off

Smylie Kaufman and Charlie Hulme recap the 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, where 39-year-old Ryan Fox closed with an aggressive nine-iron to 11 feet on the 72nd hole and drained the birdie to win his first major, clearing Cam Young by a shot. They break down his decisive back nine and journey to the top: turning pro at 25, not reaching the PGA Tour full-time until age 37.

Plus: Cam Young's fateful bunker gamble on 18 and the way his narrative has shifted rhe past year, heartbreak for Sam Burns with another near-miss at a major, controversy surrounding Scottie Scheffler’s 17th-hole TIO ruling, a bigger picture discussion about rules enforcement in the wake of Bryson DeChambeau’s two-shot penalty, and whether Royal Birkdale's firm-and-fast setup played as a true links test.

Don't forget to like, comment, subscribe, and follow us on socials @thesmylieshow! Thanks for watching our major championship coverage all year long.

Chapters

0:00 Intro — Smylie's last dispatch from Royal Birkdale
2:11 Ryan Fox's Open Championship win, recapped
3:25 Cam Young's early charge sets the clubhouse target
7:05 Sam Burns' back-nine bogeys + live show bloopers
10:11 Scottie, Fleetwood, and Bryson fall out of contention
12:40 Fox's decisive back nine and winning approach
16:39 Ryan Fox's Swing and Background
18:22 Sam Burns' heartache and the "can he close" question
20:06 Cam Young
29:53 Scottie Scheffler's major-less season, dissected
33:36 Scottie's TIO ruling and the Bryson "careless" debate
39:14 Rules consistency
47:07 Golf's mental game and controlling emotions on tour
51:12 Tommy Fleetwood, Si Woo Kim, and Royal Birkdale's true links test
59:14 Ryan Gerard and sign-off from Major season!

#theopen #golf #ryanfox #smylieshow #smyliekaufman #camyoung #samburns #scottiescheffler

Coming off a wild Friday night with a two-shot penalty assessed to Bryson DeChambeau - and a third round on Saturday where Smylie Kaufman was calling all the action in the Bryson & Sam Burns group - Smylie joins Charlie Hulme to break down all the major storylines on Saturday from Royal Birkdale.

SK and CH discuss some pointed comments from Rory McIlroy directed at Bryson, and general player reaction to the fallout from Bryson's penalty ... but while in the middle of that discussion, are joined LIVE by Ryan Gerard, in the second-to-last group on Sunday! Ryan gives us the details on his round with hickory clubs at North Berwick, plus his favorite pizza spots on the road.

What will the final score be? Who will hoist the Claret Jug on Sunday? Let us know in the comments, and come right back here tomorrow for a full recap of the 154th Open Championship!