Can a ‘Fox’ steal the Australian PGA title?
HE should beat a subject together with the cream of Australia’s {golfing} expertise nonetheless Ryan Fox will probably be on a mission to grow to be the primary New Zealander to win the BWM Australian PGA Championship in additional than 25-years.
A two-time winner within the US in 2025 and a confirmed world-class performer, Fox returns to compete in Australia for the primary time since 2022.
“It’s going to be an important Summer season of Golf in Australia and being a part of it on the BMW Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland is one thing I’m very a lot wanting ahead to,” Fox mentioned.
“I had some good success on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia in my very early days on Tour which helped to provide my profession a pleasant kick alongside. Successful one of many huge tournaments just like the PGA could be an actual spotlight.”
The success on the Australasian Tour about which Fox speaks included the Order of Benefit title in 2019, a 12 months during which he gained the ISPS Handa World Tremendous 6 occasion in Perth, a match co-sanctioned with the DP World Tour.
Alongside along with his two PGA TOUR titles, Fox has gained everywhere in the world, together with 4 victories on the DP World Tour in Europe, three in Australia and two wins in each the Fiji and Tahiti Opens.
After slicing his enamel within the skilled sport in Australia, New Zealand and within the South Pacific, Fox earned a European Tour card in 2017, ending fifth on the Open de France and tied for fourth in each the Irish and Scottish Open’s throughout his rookie season.
In February of 2019, Fox gained his first European Tour occasion, on the co-sanctioned World Tremendous 6 Perth, beating Adrian Otaegui 3 and a pair of within the closing, then three years later gained his second European Tour occasion in February 2022 on the Ras Al Khaimah Traditional, his 22-under-par complete 5 photographs away from Ross Fisher.
Courtesy of ending second on the season lengthy DP World Tour Race To Dubai factors checklist, Fox would win a PGA TOUR exemption in 2023, earlier than happening to say his first PGA TOUR occasion, on the Myrtle Seashore Traditional, chipping in for birdie from on the primary playoff gap to beat Mackenzie Hughes and Harry Higgs. One month later, Fox beat Sam Burns in one other playoff to win the RBC Canadian Open.
With Fox to be joined by Daniel Hillier and Kazuma Kobori, in addition to quite a lot of thrilling younger weapons, the New Zealand contingent will probably be aiming to grow to be the primary from their nation to win the BMW PGA Championship since Greg Turner in 1999.
Leishman to guide the Aussie cost
A six-time winner on the PGA TOUR, with a DP World Tour victory and a person triumph on the LIV Golf Tour to his credit score, Marc Leishman has dedicated to a few tournaments on dwelling soil later this 12 months in main the Aussie cost through the {golfing} summer time.
With LIV having wrapped up for 2025, Leishman profitable for the primary time at LIV Miami, the Victorian will flip his consideration to the Australian summer time, and to contesting three tournaments in three states – the BMW Australian PGA Championship in Queensland, Australian Open in Victoria and Nexus Advisernet Bowra & O’Dea WA Open.
“The BMW Australian PGA Championship and Australian Open are two of my favorite occasions on the calendar every year, like they’re for all of the Aussie gamers. I’m additionally so excited to be taking part in the WA Open at Mount Lawley, a course that I’ve heard a lot about,” Leishman mentioned.
“Successful at dwelling would imply quite a bit to me, and to have three probabilities to do this earlier than the top of the 12 months may be very thrilling.”
Leishman will begin his Australian swing on October 16 with an look in Western Australia on the lately renovated Mount Lawley Golf Membership, from there the Warrnambool native has dedicated to play the BMW PGA in Brisbane, then the Australian Open at Royal Melbourne through the first week of December.
In what was his sixteenth look on the Australian PGA Leishman got here near capturing the title simply 12 months in the past, earlier than ending in a tie for third behind winner Elvis Smylie, whereas in a sign of his liking for the Royal Queensland course was additionally third behind Min Woo Lee in 2023.
The previous two champions in Lee and Smylie, together with Adam Scott, Cam Smith, the 41-year-old Leishman, Cameron Davis and New Zealander Ryan Fox, will head up a stellar subject for the PGA Championship, which tees off from November 27-30.
