Ryan Fox of New Zealand clinched his first PGA Tour title at the 2025 ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic on Sunday with a stunning 50-foot chip-in birdie on the first playoff hole at Dunes Golf and Beach Club. The 38-year-old defeated Mackenzie Hughes and Harry Higgs in a three-way playoff, earning $720,000, 300 FedExCup points, and a coveted spot in the 2025 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow.
Fox, who closed with a 5-under 66, finished regulation at 15-under 269, tied with Hughes (67) and Higgs (68). Hughes, leading by one at the 18th, bogeyed after a wayward drive, while Higgs missed a 25-foot birdie putt to win outright.
In the playoff, Fox’s drive found the rough, but his chip from the fringe dropped for birdie, sealing the win as Hughes and Higgs missed their birdie attempts.
“It’s very rewarding,” said Fox, who had struggled to adapt to the PGA Tour since earning his card in 2024. “I always felt I could compete out here, and to do it this week feels like a monkey off my back.”
The victory, his first in 68 PGA Tour starts, also grants a two-year Tour exemption and entries into The Sentry and THE PLAYERS Championship in 2026.
Fox, a four-time DP World Tour winner, including the 2023 BMW PGA Championship, called the chip-in “a blur,” crediting caddie Dean Smith for a key read. The win, on Mother’s Day, fulfilled a playful promise to his wife for a trophy. He now heads to his fourth straight PGA Championship, buoyed by momentum.
The tournament, an Alternate-Field event opposite the Truist Championship won by Sepp Straka, showcased Fox’s resilience after a rollercoaster third round with nine birdies, six bogeys and three pars. His performance at the par-71, 7,347-yard course marked him as the ninth New Zealander to win on the PGA Tour, and the first since Danny Lee (2015 Greenbrier).
