It would be a good opportunity for Fox to get some rounds in on American soil and against a major-like field in the lead-up to the first major of the year while prizemoney and world ranking points will be another incentive for a player who has always supported the New Zealand Open and is a strong advocate for golf in this country, always happy to represent his country when he has the chance and created his own event and charity fundraiser The Fox Fishing & Golf Festival.
Fox said he'll make the decision in the next few weeks as it sinks in how much his most recent victory will impact his 2023 schedule.
"I don't know at this point, to be honest," he told Gold Sport Breakfast.
"Last week's result probably threw a spanner in the works, that's a pretty busy time of the PGA Tour and there are a few events around with top 50 category around at that time. So I really don't know. I've got to do some digging into that schedule and what being in the top 50 for that time of the year will qualify for but I'll do my utmost to be back for the New Zealand Open obviously."
Australian Cameron Smith took home US$3.6m for winning the Players Championship earlier this year. Kiwi Craig Perks won the event in 2002. The Arnold Palmer Invitational has a prize pool of US$20m while the Players Championship will have US$25m up for grabs.
Fox went into the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship following two withdrawals, a missed cut and overcoming an airline losing his golf clubs, which arrived the morning of the first round in Scotland. He was also thinking of the late Shane Warne throughout the week, who he teamed up with several times at the pro-am event.
"Golf's just a funny game. You never know when it's going to be your week and certainly there was nothing pointing to me playing well at all last week. The form wasn't good leading in, my golf game didn't feel like it was that good and all the other stuff happened. But I felt like Warnie was there this week. I don't know if it was something in that or an extra little bit of motivation to try and do something special for him. And it all worked out well in the end," he told NZME's Gold Sport.
Fox said locking in an invite to Augusta was a surprise that he was glad he didn't know was on the cards down the final stretch of the tournament.
He shrugged off some late nerves to card a four-under 68 to finish on 15-under for a one-shot win. He bogeyed the 17th, the famous road hole, which opened the door for Alex Noren who needed to sink an eagle putt on the last to force pressure on Fox - but the long-range attempt just fell short.
"That still hasn't really sunk in yet, to be honest. I got told that when I got off the 18th green and I was probably glad I didn't know that before then because it would have made those final few holes harder than they were.
"It's nice to go into the back end of the year and feel like I'm under no pressure to play well under that regard. I was inside the top 50, but only just and really needed a strong finish to the year to get that Masters invite, because that's the one I'm missing," he said.
Fox moved to third in the DP World Tour season rankings, behind McIlroy and US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick with six events to play before the season-ending Tour Championship in Dubai.
