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Sport Nation
Find your Sport Nation frequencyFox and Hillier look to fly at The Open Championship
Duncan Perkinson • July 16th, 2025 12:49 pm
Photo: Oisin Keniry/INPHO
Teeing off this week for The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, two New Zealanders are hoping to emulate Michael Campbell and Sir Bob Charles as major winners.
Currently 32nd in the world, Ryan Fox has had a stellar year on the PGA Tour, while Dan Hillier is among the very top players on the DP World Tour and both feel they can be in contention come the final round.
This is just the third time the tournament has been played outside Great Britain. When The Open was first played at Royal Portrush, England’s Max Faulkner lifted the Claret Jug.
68 years later, Ireland’s Shane Lowry, with boisterous local backing, was the winner when the tournament returned in 2019.
It was at Portrush, where Ryan Fox set a record low score of just 29 shots on the back 9 - the first time this feat had ever been achieved on the inward 9 holes of an Open Championship.
Fox has traditionally been strong on links courses, evidenced by his wins in the Dunhill Links in Fifeshire, Scotland in 2022, and his runner-up finish in 2018 at the Irish Open.
Speaking to Sport Nation golf correspondent David Bieleski on-course at The 153rd Open, Fox explained why links style courses suit him.
“I love the creativity that’s needed, the visuals that you get here playing through the dunes. I find it really easy to see shots, you're by the ocean and it just feels good. It always helps if you feel comfortable," he said.
Fox is also clearly comfortable across in Northern Ireland, as it has echoes of New Zealand.
“It's probably a little colder than home, but it kind of has a little bit of the same feel as well and the people are really nice.”
While he battled over the final two rounds at this past weekend’s Scottish Open, with two wins this year, Fox is in career-defining form and has the confidence to compete, come the final round.
“It wasn't great in Scotland last week, but it's obviously been pretty good the last couple of months," Fox added.
“I know my game's good enough to compete with the best guys in the world.”
Photo: Michael Thomas/Photosport
Sitting 12th on the DP World Tour rankings, fellow Kiwi golfer Dan Hillier is competing in his fourth Open Championship.
After two missed cuts in 2021 and 2023, he finished in the top 20 last year at Royal Troon in Scotland.
After a practice round on the course on Tuesday, Hillier also spoke with David Bieleski.
“I know if I have my week I can give it a good shot as well so very excited to get into it and hopefully see my name up there.”
Alongside wanting to lift the Claret Jug, Hillier has the dual aim to finish as high as possible this week.
With ten PGA Tour cards available for next season for the top finishers on the DP World Tour, Hillier wants to claim one of those cards.
“It would be nice to go out and join Foxy in the States next year as well.”
New Zealand golf fans both on course, and watching through the night at home, will be waving the flag and hoping both players can make more golfing history.
Listen to David Bieleski's weekly segment on Sport Nation Mornings below:
