Ryan Fox brought a touch of rugby banter into The Open Championship after saying Shane Lowry owes him £100 following a bet on the All Blacks-Ireland rugby match. The New Zealand golfer was in good spirits after both New Zealand’s 40-21 win at Eden Park and his own strong start at Royal Birkdale.
said he had caught a decent chunk of the match on Saturday morning and was pleased with the result, before turning to Lowry with a grin. He said he was looking forward to taking £100 off his fellow major winner, making the wager a small but memorable off-course storyline during a busy week of championship golf.
Fox turns rugby result into a golfing wager
The timing of the bet added to the moment. New Zealand beat Ireland 40-21 at Eden Park in the Nations Championship clash, and Fox wasted little time reminding Lowry about it. His comment was simple enough: he had seen Lowry on the screen, and he was ready to collect.
It was the kind of exchange that only really works at a major championship, where players are under pressure but still have enough time for a bit of harmless needle. For Fox, it was also a reminder that the Ryder Cup-style tension between New Zealand and Ireland can travel well beyond rugby and into golf’s biggest stages.
A good day on and off the course for Fox
Fox’s on-course work was just as notable. He shot a 62 in The Open Championship, matching the lowest score ever recorded in a men’s major championship. That sort of round would grab attention on its own, but the rugby wager gave his day an extra edge.
Lowry, meanwhile, was dealing with his own mixed fortunes in the tournament. After back-to-back bogeys on the 10th and 11th holes, he steadied himself with consecutive pars on the 12th and 13th holes. The wider conversation around him also included Bryson DeChambeau, who received a two-stroke penalty after the second round, with Lowry later saying DeChambeau had improved his lie and that it was simply the rules of golf.
For now, though, the light-hearted image is Fox waiting to settle up. The amount is small, but the moment fits the mood of major championship week: a serious tournament, a little rivalry, and a golfer from New Zealand making sure a friendly bet does not get forgotten.
