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Fox up with leaders at PGA Championship

Author
NZ Herald ,
Publish Date
Fri, 19 May 2023, 8:13am
Ryan Fox plays his shot from the seventh tee during the first round of the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club. Photo / Getty
Ryan Fox plays his shot from the seventh tee during the first round of the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club. Photo / Getty

Fox up with leaders at PGA Championship

Author
NZ Herald ,
Publish Date
Fri, 19 May 2023, 8:13am

A month away from golf hasn’t halted Ryan Fox’s form after a superb start to the PGA Championship at Oak Hill in Rochester New York, the second golf major of the year.

The Kiwi and world number 41 sits in a share of fifth after opening the tournament with a two-under 68. He was a shot back from leaders Corey Conners (three-under 67) of Canada and Americans Scottie Scheffler (67), Keegan Bradley and Bryson DeChambeau.

The Aucklander came into the tournament following more than a month away from the game after withdrawing from the RBC Heritage tournament in April due to what turned into pneumonia. He then returned to New Zealand for the birth of his second child.

The last tournament he completed was the Masters at Augusta where he finished a respectable 26th and he showed yet again the big events don’t seem to faze him with a strong showing early on at a very tough set-up at Oak Hill Country Club.

He started well with birdies at the par four second and the par five fifth to get to two-under early in the day. He dropped a shot at the par three sixth before his third birdie of the front nine coming at the ninth.

Fox shared the lead standing on the short par four 14th tee but his drive went wide ride. What looked like a possible bogey with no view of the green, he chipped to the greenside and then putted off the edge of the green for birdie which gave him the outright lead.

The host broadcaster had to apologise after twice referring to him as an Australian.

Fox then almost holed his second shot from the fairway on the 16th which would have given him an eagle and a three-shot lead. The ball rolled around the pin before ending two feet away. He missed that and walked away with par, remaining at three-under and shortly joined by Conners and Viktor Hovland as co-leaders.

Fox found the rough off the tee on the 17th and then a fairway bunker as he was unable to reach the par four green. He carded his second bogey of the day which saw him drop back to two-under. A par at the last saw him sign a 68.

Fellow Kiwi Steven Alker struggled with an opening round 10-over 80, earning his place at the tournament after winning the Senior US PGA Championship last year.

The start of the tournament was delayed by almost two hours due to frost on the course. It is unlikely the entire field will finish their opening rounds today.

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