Ryan Fox needed an eagle on his final hole.
In the second round of the British Open, he was a stroke behind the cut line at 3 over par. On his second shot, Fox’s ball nearly hopped in the cup but settled a few feet from the hole. At the time, though, the RBC Canadian Open champion thought a birdie might secure him a weekend tee time.
But instead, by a mere inch, he was trunk-slamming Friday night.
The cut line ended up moving to 1 over, one above where Fox finished. He might have been the closest player at that mark to play an extra two rounds, but the New Zealander certainly wasn’t the only notable name to have their week end early.
Needing a birdie to stay in the hunt, Ryan Fox almost holes it for eagle! 🎯🇳🇿
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) July 18, 2025
📺 USA Network | @TheOpen pic.twitter.com/DWTJm5hiVh
Jason Day, Ben Griffin and Joaquin Niemann finished at 2 over and one stroke back of them were Si Woo Kim, Nick Taylor, Tom Kim, Brian Campbell, Denny McCarthy and Patrick Cantlay.
This could have Ryder Cup ramifications for McCarthy and Cantlay, along with Brooks Koepka (7 over), Collin Morikawa (7 over), Patrick Reed (5 over) and Cam Young (4 over).
There are more Ryder Cup points at stake in majors and the British Open is the last of the year. Morikawa is seventh in U.S. points, one back of the top six automatic-qualifying threshold, while Cantlay and Young sit outside the top 12 but will have more opportunities to move up in the last few weeks of the PGA Tour season. Koepka and Reed, however, play for LIV Golf, which does not award points, and a strong week at Royal Portrush would have been a final opportunity to strengthen their position.
Several international players in addition to Fox, will also not be teeing it up in the final two rounds: Adam Scott, Cam Smith, Nico Echavarria, Min Woo Lee, Aldrich Potgieter and Louis Oosthuizen.
Smith, Oosthuizen and Morikawa are past British Open champions, along with Padraig Harrington, Zach Johnson, Darren Clarke and Stewart Cink, who also missed the cut.
Plus, all nine amateurs in the field failed to make the weekend. It’s the first time since 2019 (also at Royal Portrush) that the silver medal won’t be awarded.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as 2025 British Open Cut: Brooks Koepka, Collin Morikawa Among Those Heading Home Early.
