Ryan Fox’s Lightning Pace Secures Open Victory

At Birkdale, New Zealand-born Ryan Fox captured the Open with a decisive 12-footer on the 72nd hole. After his playing partner Sam Burns cleared the green, Fox’s approach landed before the preceding group had fully cleared, and the entire sequence from that moment to his winning putt lasted just 22.23 seconds. Fox’s swift routine—hitting shots quickly, walking fast, and minimizing time over the ball—contrasted sharply with the slower rhythms that dominate much of the PGA Tour.

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The concept of “speedgolf,” which blends rapid movement with traditional scoring, has long been championed by teacher Christopher Smith. In October 2005, Smith completed an 18-hole round at Chicago’s Jackson Park Golf Course in 44 minutes, using only six clubs to post a 65 and earning a place in the *Guinness Book of World Records*. Smith continues to promote brisk play to his students at Eugene Country Club and Puerto Los Cabo Golf Club, arguing that reduced deliberation can improve shot quality.

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• 22.23 seconds elapsed between the group ahead clearing the green and Fox’s winning putt.

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• Fox typically spends about 8 seconds from address to impact, according to Smith’s timing estimates.

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• Smith’s record round: 65 strokes in 44 minutes.

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• Smith, now 63, still teaches the benefits of rapid play.

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He also said he deliberately slowed his breathing on the greens to stay relaxed under pressure.

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Smith added that excessive time over the ball, as seen in past examples like Greg Norman at the 1996 Masters, can degrade performance.

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Fox works with sports psychologist Karl Morris, a partnership he credited with refining his mental approach ahead of the Open.

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• “One of the ways I — and people can test themselves — time them is from the moment they address the ball,” — Christopher Smith, dean

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• “He walks fast, and as soon as he hits it, he’s grabbed the putter out of his bag, he’s ready to go.” — Christopher Smith, dean

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• “At the end of the front nine and on the back nine, the sheer amount of time he took over the ball, it got longer and longer and longer,” — Christopher Smith, dean

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• “We’ve always said this in the Speedgolf world: see it and hit it,” — Christopher Smith, dean

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• “If you’re homogeneous — let’s say you’re right-eye dominant and right-handed — you’re going to be more apt to kind of see it, plan it and then ponder it a little bit and then do it,” — Christopher Smith, dean

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