Bayleigh Teepa-Tarau has been offered the opportunity of a lifetime as Ryan Fox asked him to carry his bag for Chasing the Fox.
Video / Golf NZ
Ryan Fox shot 65 on the Old Course at St Andrews to tie for second at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship this week - his third top-three finish in the last month after returning to the DP World Tour following a decent break back home in New Zealand.
In doing so he not only helped his hopes of a PGA Tour card but pocketed $876,443 in prize money, taking his earnings from the last two years alone to a not-to-be-scoffed-at $11 million.
Across those two years, he has three DP World Tour wins, five runners-up placings, two thirds and three top-10 finishes.
His prizemoney earnings ramped up in 2022 with an extraordinary run in which he bridged a three-year gap between victories, winning his second title at the Ras Al Khaimah Classic. Last year saw him place runner-up four times, and a third place as well as three other top-10 finishes, while securing his third DP World Tour victory late in the year at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
This year, across 16 tournaments, he has a win at the BMW PGA Championship, a second and a third, with an average finish position of 31 - to go along with $5.1m in prize money.
In the past month, Fox has moved into third on the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai standings, behind powerhouses Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm. Most importantly for Fox, he is now ranked No 1 in the PGA Tour Eligibility Rankings after his win at the BMW PGA Championship. His Dunhill outing solidified this.
Ryan Fox poses with the trophy after winning the 2023 BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Golf Club in England. Photo / Getty Images
This year is the first that the top 10 in the Race to Dubai rankings, who are not yet exempt from the PGA Tour, will earn a Tour card. These cards are determined after the end-of-season DP World Tour Championship in Dubai at the end of November.
On Fox’s heels is Poland’s Adrian Meronk, who tied for second at the Dunhill. Fellow Kiwi Dan Hillier sits 30th on the list - his season most notably includes a barnstorming finish for a round of 66 to win by two shots and claim his maiden DP World Tour title at the Betfred British Masters.
As well as a Tour card, Fox will be eyeing a spot in the 2024 Players Championship, as the No 1 player in the PGA Tour Eligibility Ranking earns that right.
Essentially, the Kiwi is third in the overall rankings but McIlroy and Rahm are already exempt so, in terms of what matters for Fox, he is first.
McIlroy won the season-long Race to Dubai title last season - when he also won his third FedExCup - followed by Rahm and Fox.
Fox already has Special Temporary Membership on the PGA Tour after solid finishes at the Arnold Palmer Invitational (T14), The Players (T27), World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play (T17), Masters Tournament (T26), PGA Championship (T23) and the Memorial Tournament (T30).
His best finish on the PGA Tour this season was T12 at the Scottish Open.
Ryan Fox on day one of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. He finished the tournament tied for second place. Photo / Getty Images
The DP World Tour now moves to Spain for two weeks, then heads to Qatar and South Africa. Fox has indicated he won’t be playing at the first Spanish tournament but will play the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters at Real Club de Golf Sotogrande, beginning on October 19. He missed the cut at last year’s event.
Just four weeks remain before the season-ending DP World Tour Championship. The Qatar Masters in Doha and the Nedbank Golf Challenge are the final two events. Fox finished second in the latter to Tommy Fleetwood last year with a bogey on the 18th hole.
He often fares well at courses where he has performed previously, as exemplified in his back-to-back outings at St Andrews, and has previously spoken about enjoying his visits to South Africa. Fox’s bank balance and future on the PGA Tour will be greatly improved should he continue this trend.
Will Toogood is an Online Sports Editor for the NZ Herald. He has previously worked for Newstalk ZB’s digital team and at Waiheke’s Gulf News, covering sport and events.
