ESPN Golf: Open Champion Ryan Fox on Why Fast Play Comes Naturally to Him

Ryan Fox captured his first major title at age 39 at the Open Championship, and one moment perfectly encapsulated his approach to the game: he drained a 12-foot birdie putt on the final hole in just 22 seconds.

A Mindset Built on Speed

Fox frames his quick play as a cognitive strategy, not just a habit. "The less time I have to think about it, the less bad stuff can creep in," he explained. His decision-making process — club selection, shot shape, execution — runs fast by design. Over 250 tournaments together, caddie Dean Smith says the approach has never wavered.

The Origin Story

Fox traces the habit back to his teenage years, tagging along with his father at corporate and charity golf days. Playing among adults, he simply didn't want to hold anyone up. That self-imposed urgency stuck, and it followed him all the way to Birkdale.

Scheffler's Backhanded Compliment

Playing alongside Scottie Scheffler at the WM Phoenix Open, Fox was told after the ninth hole: "It doesn't even feel like you're in the group — it feels like we're playing a two-ball." Fox still isn't sure if it was a compliment or a dig.

Strokeslab Perspective

Fox's case is a compelling data point for the idea that pre-shot routine length is not correlated with decision quality — and may in fact be inversely related to it under pressure.