WATCH: Ryan Fox scores a 19-footer birdie to take 2-stroke lead at RBC Canadian Open
A 19-foot birdie propelled Ryan Fox to secure his lead at the 2024 RBC Canadian Open during the third round of the event on Saturday, June 1. The Kiwi golfer was tied with Robert MacIntyre after the second round, starting the third round with a score of 10-under.
Fox maintained his dominance with an incredible start, hitting a birdie on the par-4 second hole to take a two-stroke lead. On the 463-yard hole, Fox's first shot travelled 302 yards, his second shot covered another 158 yards, and he managed to get the ball into the hole in three shots, resulting in a birdie. The ball travelled 19 feet on his third shot.
The PGA Tour shared a clip of his phenomenal shot on its X (formerly Twitter) account with the following caption:
"A 19-footer to lead by ✌️Right now, @RyanFoxGolfer is currently projected inside the #AonSwing5 to earn a spot in next week's @MemorialGolf."
Notably, Ryan Fox maintained his dominance as the tournament progressed. After hitting a birdie on the second, he scored an eagle on the par-5 fourth hole, extending his lead by three strokes.
At the time of writing, Fox is leading the tournament with a score of 13-under, followed by Robert MacIntyre, who is holding second place in solo with a score of 10-under.
Ryan Fox in contention for maiden PGA Tour win
Ryan Fox began playing golf professionally in 2012 and is now seeking to win his maiden PGA Tour event.
Fox has won 17 professional events in his career, including four on the European Tour, one Asian Tour, three on the PGA Tour of Australasia and two on the Challenge Tour. In the 2024 season, he had two top-10 finishes out of the 14 tournaments he played. However, he has also missed the cut in six events this season.
Nonetheless, Fox has been in complete dominance at the ongoing RBC Canadian Open. He shot 66 in the opening round with five birdies and just a bogey, followed by another round of 64 on Friday when he shot seven birdies along with a bogey to take the lead in the game in a tie with MacIntyre.
Following the round, Fox opened up about his game and MacIntyre, saying (via NZ Herald):
“I’ve known Bob since he got on tour a few years ago. He’s a great kid. We get along really well, played together a bunch of times in Europe. played together the first two days at Myrtle Beach this year, [and] We both went pretty well there. Hopefully, we can have a bit of fun tomorrow and feed off each other and be in that final group again on Sunday [Monday NZT].”
Rory McIlroy is also playing at the RBC Canadian Open. He struggled in the second round, shooting 72, but scored 65 in the third round to jump 22 positions on the leaderboard and settle in a tie for eighth place at the time of writing. The RBC Canadian Open will have its final showdown on Sunday, June 2.