LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England — Their journeys to professional golf couldn't have been more contrasting. Lydia Ko was a child prodigy; Ryan Fox was a late bloomer who didn't turn pro until age 25. Ko rose to fame when, at 14, she became the youngest winner of a tour event and, at 18, became the youngest major winner. Fox was 39 when he won his first major at the British Open two weeks ago.
But they are united by their homeland of New Zealand and by shared experiences in team rooms. Those moments began with pranks at the 2010 World Amateur Teams Championships. These days, the New Zealand bonding sessions play out on a far bigger stage—at the past three Olympic games.
"We went to World Team Ams when I was 14," Ko recalled on Wednesday at the AIG Women's British Open at Royal Lytham. "I don't know if I'm allowed to say it, but he may or may not have tricked me to think my ***** e glass was—I thought it was my ***** e glass—but it was red wine. He's always been the same."
Which is why, two weeks ago, Ko was in tears watching from the U.S. as Fox took the British Open by the scruff of the neck with weekend rounds of 62-68 at Royal Birkdale. Fox stole the claret jug from clubhouse leader Cameron Young with three-under performance in his final six holes, including a walk-off birdie on the 72nd to win by one.
"I was on the West Coast in the U.S. so there was quite a bit of time difference," Ko said Wednesday. "I went to go work out and everywhere I went I was like, 'Please turn on the Open.' It ended up not working on the TV, so I had my trainer turn it on my cell phone and I [also] had it on my cell phone. I can't remember my work out at all."
#british
But they are united by their homeland of New Zealand and by shared experiences in team rooms. Those moments began with pranks at the 2010 World Amateur Teams Championships. These days, the New Zealand bonding sessions play out on a far bigger stage—at the past three Olympic games.
"We went to World Team Ams when I was 14," Ko recalled on Wednesday at the AIG Women's British Open at Royal Lytham. "I don't know if I'm allowed to say it, but he may or may not have tricked me to think my ***** e glass was—I thought it was my ***** e glass—but it was red wine. He's always been the same."
Which is why, two weeks ago, Ko was in tears watching from the U.S. as Fox took the British Open by the scruff of the neck with weekend rounds of 62-68 at Royal Birkdale. Fox stole the claret jug from clubhouse leader Cameron Young with three-under performance in his final six holes, including a walk-off birdie on the 72nd to win by one.
"I was on the West Coast in the U.S. so there was quite a bit of time difference," Ko said Wednesday. "I went to go work out and everywhere I went I was like, 'Please turn on the Open.' It ended up not working on the TV, so I had my trainer turn it on my cell phone and I [also] had it on my cell phone. I can't remember my work out at all."
#british
2 days ago
