New Zealand’s Ryan Fox wins four-hole playoff vs. American Sam Burns at Canadian Open

Ryan Fox poses with the championship trophy after winning the RBC Canadian Open golf tournament in Caledon, Ont., Sunday, June 8, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

CALEDON — Despite recent evidence to the contrary, Ryan Fox doesn’t consider himself a playoff specialist.

The New Zealander beat American Sam Burns in a four-hole playoff to win the RBC Canadian Open on Sunday, the second win of his PGA Tour career. The first also came in a playoff on May 11 when he birdied the first extra hole to beat Harry Higgs of the United States and Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., to win the Oneflight Myrtle Beach Classic.

“If you’d have seen any of the ones I had in Europe, you wouldn’t say that,” said Fox, sitting beside the Canadian Open trophy at a news conference. “I didn’t have a great record in Europe in playoffs.

“I feel like you’ve got to take it on a little bit. It becomes match play. You kind of want to put the pressure on your opponent a little bit.”

Fox had an 0-2 playoff record on the European Tour, losing to Scotland’s Russell Knox at the 2018 Irish Open and to France’s Victor Perez at the 2022 Dutch Open.

He had to work to force the extra holes on Sunday.

Burns fired an 8-under 62 round, the best of the day, to lay claim to the top of the leaderboard. However, he had teed off an hour 45 minutes earlier than Fox and Italy’s Matteo Manaserro, the third round co-leaders.

As a result, Fox still had most of the course to play as Burns was signing his scorecard. Fox birdied Nos. 14 and 15 to get to within a shot of Burns and then sank a clutch birdie putt on No. 18 for a 4-under 66 day that forced the playoff.

No. 18 at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley is a 576-yard, par-5 hole with the sloping green tucked behind a small pond with bunkers on the far side.

“I think 18’s a different hole compared to what it has been all week, not being able to get there in two,” said Burns on the possibility of a playoff and how he would prepare for it. “So I’ll probably (be at the range) trying to figure out what distance we want to have in for our third shot and maybe hit that shot a few times.”

After Fox and Burns made par on their first two playoff holes. The grounds crew actually cut a new hole closer to the tee — and the water — for the third and fourth runs down the hole.

Fox’s bolder approach on the second and fourth playoff rounds, designed to put pressure on Burns, finally paid off when he attacked the new pin.

“I had the exact shot I wanted to hit,” said Fox, who qualified for next week’s U.S. Open with the victory. “I wasn’t sure in the air if it was going to be a little short or perfect. I didn’t actually see it land. It was getting a bit hazy out there. Obviously by the crowd reaction I knew it was pretty good.

“Probably the best shot I ever hit in my life given the circumstances.”

Members of the All Whites, New Zealand’s national men’s soccer team, drove up to TPC Toronto on Sunday to cheer on Fox. They beat Ivory Coast 1-0 the night before at BMO Field in the Canadian Shield tournament and will face Ukraine on Tuesday.

“That was really cool, to have the Kiwi support out there, it was great,” said Fox. “They were there all day. We seem to have a lot of weeks where random Kiwis pop up, and to have the All Whites say, ‘hey, is there any chance we can come out and watch on Sunday?’ was really cool.

“To be able to meet them all there at the end and get a photo with them was pretty special.”

Grant Fox, Ryan’s father, was a fly half with the All Blacks, New Zealand’s men’s rugby team, appearing in 46 matches and scoring 645 points in his career. The elder Fox won the Rugby World Cup in 1987 and is still considered one of the finest goal-kickers of all time, getting inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2014.

Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., was the low Canadian, tying for 13th at 13 under. Taylor won the Canadian Open two years ago at Oakdale Golf and Country Club.

“The energy was phenomenal the first couple days and being near the lead the last two days,” said Taylor, who will play in the U.S. Open next week at Oakmont Country Club outside Pittsburgh. “I’m tired from it as well because it’s fun being up close to the lead and trying to get it done.

“I’ll get some rest the next couple days and be prepared.”

TPC Toronto will host the Canadian Open again next year.

It was a tight leaderboard throughout the round, with eight players tied for first before Fox and Manaserro even teed off.

Ireland’s Shane Lowry, for example, began his day with an eagle and followed it up with three consecutive birdies to start his day 5 under through just four holes to take sole possession of the lead. He bogeyed Nos. 17 and 18 to fall back into a tie for 13th.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 8, 2025.

John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press