Golf: Fox on the cusp of booking that magic ticket

Ryan Fox at The Hills with his caddy and father All Blacks selector Grant Fox. Ryan is hoping to be the first Kiwi since 2003 to win the New Zealand Open next year. Photo / Getty Images

Ryan Fox has enjoyed his best year as a professional golfer this year and he is only two weeks away from earning some opportunities that could further shape his future.

The Aucklander is in third place on the PGA Tour of Australasia's order of merit and finishing inside the top three means he would have his choice of heading to the final stage of qualifying school for the European, Japan or Web.com tours at the end of next year.

Fox had a decorated amateur career in New Zealand before he joined the paid ranks at the end of 2011, although the professional game is yet to provide him with any notable riches.

He has undoubtedly improved this year with his maiden PGA Tour of Australasia victory coming in October when he took out the Western Australian Open.

Money-wise, his best result of the season came last weekend when he finished in a share of seventh at the Australian Open in a high-quality field in Sydney to earn A$38,125 ($41,300).

Fox is playing in China this week in the Dongfeng Nissan Cup as part of an Asia-Pacific Select Side who will meet Team China in a three-day matchplay tournament starting today. From there he will head to the Gold Coast to tackle the Australian PGA Championship where he knows a solid finish would book that magic top-three ticket.

"It makes getting on a big tour a lot easier," he said. "One stage of qualifying is a lot easier than three."

His long-term goal is to make his way to the PGA Tour and playing on the second-tier Web.com circuit in the US would be the most direct path but he said he wouldn't turn down the chance to play in Europe or Japan if they presented the best qualification opportunities next year.

Fox tried to qualify for the Web.com Tour from scratch this year and made it through to the second stage before he met a weather bomb in Dallas last month.

The 27-year-old played three consecutive days in negative temperatures that required him to wear five layers of clothing.

He said he played all right as he finished in a share of 22nd, although only the top 18 advanced to the final stage.

"Our towel actually froze solid one day, while we were on the golf course, which I've never even heard of before," he said.

The weather should be a lot warmer on the Gold Coast where the million-dollar Australian PGA Championship awaits and after that he will have a break until February.

"I will definitely take two or three weeks and try and not touch the sticks and at least not do any practice," he said.

"I might play some social golf and keep things ticking over but I've done a lot of travelling this part of the year and played some tough golf courses in some big events and physically it's not so bad. It's more the mental side of it that's really draining and to be able to play good golf you've got to be fresh."

Courtesy of his win in Western Australia he has full playing rights on the PGA Tour of Australasia for the next two years, while some strong performances in co-sanctioned events means he can play on the OneAsia circuit next year, too.

The inevitable question arises as to whether Fox, now ranked 291 in the world, can be the first Kiwi since 2003 to win the New Zealand Open next year when the event takes place at The Hills at Arrowtown, near Queenstown, in March.

"I'd love to be," he said. "It's recognised as an event that everyone wants to play.

"Queenstown's such a great place to go and apart from one day in the last three years the weather's been fantastic."