The ladies' team from the Waihi Beach Volunteer Coastguard proved their worth on both boat and golf course. Photo/Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media
The ladies' team from the Waihi Beach Volunteer Coastguard proved their worth on both boat and golf course. Photo/Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media
A jubilant Ryan Fox was celebrating a couple of milestones after the second edition of his charity golf and fishing tournament in Waihi Beach over the weekend.
The top New Zealand professional golfer ended up on the winning team at The Fox, presented by Shimano Fishing New Zealand, after two days of competition, where he was joined by fellow sporting celebrities, rower Eric Murray, Black Caps bowler Neil Wagner, fellow golfer Mark Brown and his father and All Black great Grant Fox.
All Black great and current selector Grant Fox at his son's fishing and golfing tournament. Photo/Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media
While it marked Fox's third consecutive win in as many tournaments - following twin recent wins in Charles Tour events in the past month - his greatest satisfaction was in raising nearly $50,000, to be shared between the Waihi Beach Lifeguard Service and the Waihi Beach Volunteer Coastguard.
"This is going to two fantastic local charities and I'm really proud that we've been able to support them," Fox said.
"They do so much great work and the community really appreciates it. Thankful I haven't personally had to use either service but it's great that it's there if anyone needs it.
"To be able to help them out is really satisfying and I've had a fantastic weekend. I just love being part of it and we had a lot of fun."
Waihi Beach Surf Lifesaving Club's Melanie Gearon challenges rowing legend Eric Murray to an ERG race during The Fox fishing and golfing tournament. Photo/Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media
Fox leaves later this month to rejoin the European Tour, after an extended break over the summer following the birth of his and wife Anneke's first child, Isabel, just before Christmas.
Waihi Beach has a special place in his heart, with his parents owning a holiday home in the area for the past decade.
A keen fisherman, he relished the day on the water on Friday, with local skippers providing boats and expert knowledge for the 16 team field, but came into his own with the Cooney Lees Morgan team at Waihi Golf Club on the second day.
Professional golfer Ryan Fox casting for catches during the fishing and golfing tournament named for him. Photo/Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media
With Fox's guidance, the Cooney Lees Morgan team of Cameron Russell, Cam Izzard, Daniel Watkins and Steve Cutfield shot a gross 61 and a net 52.8 in the ambrose-format golf, to claim the overall title by a whisker from the Golf Warehouse team, with Aristocrat Technology in third.
Other notable performances saw Waihi's Carol Leary win both closest to the pin, as well as the ladies' longest drive prizes, with Izzard also claiming the use of a new VW Golf for a long weekend after winning the men's longest drive — thanks to his 289m effort.
Black Caps bowler Neil Wagner hauled in this beautiful snapper at The Fox fishing and golfing tournament on Friday. Photo/Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media
The tournament was postponed from early March because of an Auckland Covid-19 lockdown but tournament organiser, Sports Inc's Kelsen Butler, said the rejigged event had proven its worth again.
"We raised $24,000 for the two charities last year and to essentially double it this year to $47,000 just showed how much support is out there for this sort of event," Butler said.
"We needed to be flexible and adaptable this year but thanks to Ryan, the celebrity skippers and the participating teams and host venues, we've come through with a terrific result for two extremely worthy volunteer organisations."
Ryan Fox launches a long drive during the fishing and golfing tournament named for him. Photo/Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media
Among the top charity auction items at Saturday night's function at the Flat White cafe were Wagner's cricket boots he heroically wore earlier in the summer, when he broke two toes batting against Pakistan and still helped bowl New Zealand to victory, bolstered by painkillers, and book a spot in June's world test championship in England.
Both Butler and Fox were bullish about the tournament's future, with Fox already looking forward to the 2022 edition following his upcoming season in Europe.
