Foxy can't win, I said as I headed off to bed

  By Paul Gueorgieff

I went to bed about 12.15am and said to my wife: Foxy can't win, he's just had a triple bogey.

I had been watching live television coverage of the PGA Championship at the Wentworth Club at Virginia Water, Surrey, in England with most of my attention of New Zealand golfer Ryan Fox. 

The coverage did not show Fox's triple bogey but when it showed him making birdie a few holes later it was mentioned he had scored a seven on a par four.

My heart sunk and when I looked at the clock, I thought, oh well, time to go to bed.

My wife was first up the next morning and after reading the morning news she exclaimed: ``Fox won.''

I remembering thinking, thought he might. I then questioned myself because I had said he can't win.

But what I didn't say was if anyone can recover from such a setback it is Foxy.

Recover he did, and in magnificent fashion. He birdied eight of the closing 13 holes to snatch victory in the PGA Championship which is the flagship event on the DP World Tour, formerly known as the European Tour. 

The PGA Championship has been held at the iconic venue of the Wentworth Club a total of 44 times -- 40 times in a row -- dating back to 1950s.

The Wentworth Club is also where the headquarters of the DP World Tour is situated and past winners of the PGA Championship include Nick Faldo, who won four times, and Bernhard Langer and Colin Montgomerie, who each won three times.

The PGA Championship used to be the richest tournament on the DP World Tour until the arrival of the Dubai World Championship came along more than a decade ago.

The Dubai event next month carries a purse of $US10 million but the PGA Championship still holds it's place as a flagship tournament on the DP World Tour with prizemoney of $US9 million. 

Fox's winning prize was $US1.53 million. That equates to $NZ2.57 million.  

Wentworth was also the venue for 2005 World Matchplay Championship which was won by fellow New Zealander Michael Campbell, three months after he won the United States Open.

Fox was well aware of the history which he alluded to in his news media interviews afterwards.

Fox said: ``I'm immensely proud. It's such an iconic tournament. I know Michael Campbell has won around here when it was the match play event and to add to that history here and create some of my own is very special.''

Obviously we follow Fox because he is a New Zealander. But at the same time he is a delight to watch.

He doesn't muck around, hits the ball a mile and can bounce back from a triple bogey on the last round in a top class field and gain victory.

This was the fourth win on the DP World Tour for Fox and he seems destined to become a regular player on the PGA Tour in the United States.

I think Fox has finally shrugged off his tag as son of All Blacks rugby legend Grant Fox.