Phil Mickelson joins elite group as Ryan Fox wins Open Championship

Phil Mickelson has been added to a select list of major winners after Ryan Fox claimed the Claret Jug at the Open Championship on Sunday.

What happened?

Ryan Fox birdied the 18th hole to finish at 10-under par and edge Cameron Young by one shot in the 154th Open Championship at Royal Troon on 21 Jul 2025. The 39-year-old New Zealander became the third-oldest first-time major winner in the last ten majors, joining Henrik Stenson (40 at Royal Troon in 2016) in that age bracket. Fox also became just the third golfer born in New Zealand to win a major and the first since Michael Campbell in 2005.

Why it matters for Phil Mickelson

Phil Mickelson now sits alongside Fox and Tiger Woods in a trio of recent major winners who all claimed their first major after turning 39. Mickelson was 50 when he won the 2021 PGA Championship, while Woods was 43 when he claimed the 2019 Masters. The three have redefined the late-career surge in men’s golf, with Fox’s victory proving age is no barrier to major glory.

Fox’s 62 on Saturday became the eighth round of 62 or better in major history and the third this week. He started Sunday with a slow first 12 holes before firing four birdies in the final six holes to secure the title. His Claret Jug defense begins next July at St. Andrews in the 155th Open Championship.

The bigger picture

The 2025 men’s major season now features four different countries among its four winners: Northern Ireland (Rory McIlroy), England (Aaron Rai), the USA (Wyndham Clark), and New Zealand (Fox). It’s only the second season in men’s golf history where that’s happened, per Justin Ray. The diversity underscores a shifting balance of power across the global game.

Fox’s win also marked the first time since 2005 that a New Zealand-born golfer claimed a major. Campbell’s 2005 U.S. Open remains the benchmark, but Fox’s Royal Troon triumph signals a resurgence for the tiny nation’s golfing fortunes.

What comes next?

Fox will tee it up at St. Andrews next July with the Claret Jug on the line. Mickelson, meanwhile, remains without a major in 2025 and has not won a full PGA Tour event since the 2023 Charles Schwab Challenge. His next start is the 2025 FedEx St. Jude Championship, where he’ll aim to keep his hopes of a record-tying 50th PGA Tour victory alive.