Fox hunt at Carnoustie
In-form New Zealand golfer Ryan Fox is happy to be on the trail of a Tiger at the British Open this week. Mark Geenty reports.
If Ryan Fox can’t be paired with Tiger Woods, then playing in the group behind is the next best thing. It’s not so much a fanboy situation at his third Open Championship at Carnoustie, but New Zealand’s big hope sees genuine benefits in following the golfer who still pulls the biggest galleries.
‘‘If you’d told me 10 years ago that I’d be playing in the British Open in the group behind Tiger the first two days I would have told you to get lost. It’s a pretty cool feeling,’’ said Fox, on the phone during a 500m stroll from his rented lodgings to the course.
‘‘The added bonus of that, from what I’ve been told, is you never lose a golf ball and there’s no rough because there are so many people following his group that the rough is trampled down.’’
Woods’ gradual injury comeback and Fox’s hot streak in Ireland and Scotland this past fortnight means the pair are separated only by 13 spots on the world rankings: Woods
71 and Fox a career-high
84.
Fox experienced the ‘‘Tiger buzz’’ at his first Open at St Andrews three years ago (a tie for
49th), and in Dubai last year. Even when Woods was playing poorly due to injury, the galleries flocked and all the players took note of how he was going.
‘‘There’s a lot more positivity around his golf game now which is warranted. He’s been playing a lot better this year and the buzz is ever greater now.’’
Not that Fox is preoccupied with three-time Open champion Woods, or any of the other guns, having created his own buzz on the European links for a second successive year.
A year ago Fox finished tied for fourth in both the Irish and Scottish Opens; this month he was beaten in a playoff by Russell Knox in Ireland, then faded a fraction to finish sixth equal at Gullane, pocketing a combined
$1.45 million.
‘‘Links golf has treated me well. I enjoy the challenge of it, and hopefully it treats me well again this week,’’ Fox said. ‘‘It’s still a major championship with the best players in the world and a really tough course. I know if I play well I can compete with those guys but just because I feel a bit better about it doesn’t necessarily mean I’m going to play well.
‘‘It sounds bad, but it feels a bit more like another tournament rather than something else which is a good place to be. I feel a bit more comfortable on this stage than I have in previous years.’’
The Carnoustie course is the wildcard, several degrees of difficulty up from Ballyliffin and Gullane and bone dry amid a summer drought.
Fox talks of two-irons running 300m-plus which isn’t necessarily a good thing, and makes aggression a risk with nasty pot bunkers dotting the parched fairways.
‘‘I’ve played it before but I’ve never seen it like this. There’s no surprises where the bunkers are and what the greens are like; it’s purely going to be about the conditions.’’
Fox has a long wait until his 3.32pm tee time (2.32am tomorrow NZT), 11 minutes after Woods lets fly alongside Knox and Hideki Matsuyama.
The other Kiwi Mike Hendry, who qualified in Japan, is off at 11.20pm tonight alongside Lee Westwood and Kelly Kraft.
For Fox, staying fresh has been the key, as he played just 27 practice holes at Carnoustie. A year ago at Royal Birkdale he missed the cut after those two fourths.
‘‘I’m not putting any pressure on myself to perform. It’s always hard backing up a few good weeks in a row. It’s been mentally pretty draining the last couple of weeks being in contention, so this week’s been about trying to conserve energy.’’