Fox joins Lee in PGA field
Kiwi is rapt to play second major in row at Quail Hollow in US
Ryan Fox will appear at his second golf major of the year after earning a place in next week’s PGA Championship at Quail Hollow. Fox will join fellow Kiwi Danny Lee at the final major of the year after Lee booked his spot yesterday following a strong finish at the Canadian Open.
Fox told Radio Sport his spot in the PGA Championship has been confirmed with an invitation arriving last Monday.
“We thought it would come this week,” he said. “We got it based on world ranking and it came a week earlier than expected, so that was a nice phone call. Getting to play two majors in a row is pretty cool.”
It will be Fox’s first professional tournament in the United States and third appearance in a major.
Fox has been in great form on the European Tour in recent weeks with three top-10 finishes before missing the cut at the British Open.
“I guess I picked the right three weeks to play well on the European Tour to get the money list side of things sorted out, to qualify for the British. Three good weeks got a lot of world ranking points towards the PGA.
“It was a surprise to get the invite so early. I got told after I finished fourth in Scotland that I would be close to top 100, maybe a little inside it and that opened the door for the PGA.
“No one really knows how the invites work. From what we understand, they fill the field with the categories they have and any sports left over go on world rankings.”
Fox said now he no longer has to worry about the security of his spot on the European Tour he can concentrate on contending for victories.
“I’ve started to feel more comfortable playing with some of the big boys and being out on tour every week,” he said.
We got it based on world ranking and it came a week earlier than expected, so that was a nice phone call. Getting to play two majors in a row is pretty cool. Ryan Fox
“I hadn’t played that well for the first half of the season — there had been glimpses of it when I probably played a little bit better than I scored.
“I put it all together at the French Open [sixth], and that took the pressure off for the rest of the year and things started to click.
“I started to put myself in contention in a couple of events, I got to play a major and was paired with a top20 player in the world [American Matt Kuchar] . . . it still hasn’t sunk in.”
Tournament director Michael Goldstein
many major championships between them is a testament to the quality of the field,” said tournament director Michael Goldstein.
“We are hoping for one or two more.
“It is a level of golf that has never been seen in this country.”
Tseng held the No 1 world ranking for 109 weeks and was the youngest player of either sex, at 22 years, to win five majors.
She has won the US PGA championship twice, the British Open twice and the ANA Inspiration.
Matthew has the 2010 British Open to her credit, and four wins on the LPGA among 100 top-10 finishes.
“It is one of the few places in the world I’ve not been,” she said.
“People say it is similar to Scotland, so that’s something I am keenly interested in.
Kim won the Evian Championship in France three years ago on the back of an LPGA record 61 in her opening round.
Lincicome is a two-time major winner; at the Kraft Nabisco championship in 2009 before it morphed into the ANA Inspiration, which she won in 2015. Choi and Ji won the 2012 and 2009 US Opens respectively.