Two months on, Ryan Fox’s win at The 154th Open at Royal Birkdale is still one of the stories of the year. Not just because of the finish, though a 72nd-hole birdie to win by one is hard to beat, but because of how he got there. Fox plays quickly, decides quickly and swings without fuss. With the winter practice season approaching, we think his approach is worth a closer look.
How the Championship was won
According to The Open’s official Story of the Championship, Fox opened with a 72 and followed it with a 68, leaving him level par and just two inside the cut. On Saturday he shot a record-equalling 62 to move to eight under, two behind Sam Burns.
On Sunday, Fox was one over for his round through 12 holes. Birdies at the 13th, 14th and 16th pulled him back into it, and on the 18th he split the fairway, hit his approach close and holed the putt to finish at 10 under, one ahead of Cameron Young.
BBC Sport’s Iain Carter noted that it was the first time since Tom Watson in 1977 that a 72nd-green birdie had won The Open by a single shot. He also pointed out that only 22 seconds passed between Burns finishing his round and Fox holing the winning 11-footer.
“See shot, hit shot”
The part of the BBC piece we found most useful was Fox’s own description of how he plays. “See shot, hit shot. That’s always been my philosophy,” he said. He added: “Pick a shot quickly, and the less time I have to think about it, the less bad stuff can creep in there.”
Carter is careful to say it would be unrealistic to expect everyone to play at Fox’s pace. We agree. But there’s a principle here that almost every club golfer can use.
Long routines invite doubt
When you stand over the ball too long, tension builds. Grip pressure creeps up, shoulders tighten and the takeaway becomes jerky. Many golfers who look smooth on practice swings lose that rhythm the moment a ball is in front of them, and time over the ball is often the reason.
Decisive doesn’t mean rushed
Playing quickly is not the same as swinging quickly. Fox decides fast, but the swing itself still needs a complete backswing and an unhurried transition. The goal is to remove dithering, not to speed up your tempo.
How to practise a “Fox-style” routine
You don’t need to play like a tour pro to benefit from this. Try these on your next session.
1. Set a simple time limit
The BBC piece mentions the 40 seconds that players are allowed for a stroke (50 if first to play). Most club golfers can comfortably play well inside that. In practice, give yourself a short window: pick the target, take one rehearsal swing, step in and go.
2. Keep the same number of looks
Two looks at the target, then swing. Every time. Consistency in the routine tends to create consistency in rhythm.
3. Check that faster decisions don’t mean a faster swing
This is the key test. Hit ten balls with your normal routine and ten with a quicker, more decisive one. Then compare your tempo. If your swing speeds up along with your routine, slow the routine back down a touch until the swing settles.
DE-SHANK is built for exactly this kind of comparison. You say “record” before each swing, hit your shot, and our voice coach talks you through the result while the tempo, head movement, hip sway and posture change scores appear. You never have to walk back to your phone, which keeps your routine natural. See all the details in our features.
DE-SHANK gives estimates from one camera view. It’s designed for practice feedback, to help you spot habits and track trends.
A note on pace for everyone
Fox’s win landed in a week that also included plenty of debate about rules and conduct. We’ll leave that to others. What we’d rather celebrate is a champion who showed that brisk, decisive golf can hold up under the biggest pressure in the game. As the BBC put it, he is a “late developer” who turned professional at 24 and earned his way to the top.
That’s an encouraging story for anyone trying to improve, whatever age you started.
Our take
Ryan Fox’s Open was a lesson in trusting your first read and letting the swing go. Spend less time over the ball, keep your routine identical and make sure your tempo stays unhurried even when your decisions get quicker.
Read more stories in our Golf News section.
Try DE-SHANK free
Find out whether a quicker routine changes your rhythm. Try the free DE-SHANK beta and compare your tempo across sessions. It’s free during the beta.
