Ryan Fox took all of 22 seconds to read and roll in the birdie putt that clinched the Open Championship. But his celebration lasted a good deal longer.
Fresh off a victory that transformed him into a fast-playing fan favorite, the 2026 Champion Golfer of the Year joined GOLF’s Subpar podcast to recount the revelry that followed at Royal Birkdale — a party that stretched well into Monday morning — and the notable airport encounter that came after.
Fox said the festivities began upstairs in the players’ lounge, where he and his entourage poured red wine into the Claret Jug and drank from the famous trophy, pausing only when tournament obligations called.
“I had to go downstairs to take more photos so I had to tip the wine out of the Claret Jug, which was a bit of a shame for the wine,” Fox said.
Roughly 40 people joined the festivities, Fox said, including fellow Tour pros Thomas Detry and Min Woo Lee. The party rolled on until staff delivered an ultimatum: Leave now, or there wouldn’t be any cars left to take them home.
Back at his rental house in Birkdale, Fox faced another decision. With a 4:15 a.m. ride to the airport scheduled, he opted to skip sleep altogether.
The party finally wound down at around 3:30 a.m, having inspired several videos that, Fox said, “will not see the light of day.”
Then it was off to the airport, where matters took a surreal turn.
Standing directly in front of Fox in the British Airways check-in line was Cameron Young, the player who had finished one shot behind him at Royal Birkdale. They were on the same flight from Manchester to London.
What could have been an awkward encounter wasn’t.
“He was great,” Fox said.
On the plane, the pattern held: Fox was seated directly behind Young. Loading the Claret Jug — and its replica — into the overhead bin took some time.
“Some people were probably getting a little annoyed,” Fox joked. “But I wasn’t going to be the person who loses the Claret Jug and puts it in the cargo hold.”
Whether he’s playing golf quickly or boarding a plane slowly, Fox has won fans over with his down-to-earth demeanor — an Everyman champion, who still flies commercial like the rest of us. You can watch the entire episode below.
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