Almost 30 years after Grant Fox helped New Zealand win the inaugural Rugby World Cup on home soil, his son Ryan will get the chance to follow in his famous father’s footsteps when he competes in the World Cup of Golf.
Ryan was just six months old when the All Blacks beat France 29-9 in front of a capacity crowd at Eden Park, in Auckland, with fly-half Grant contributing 16 points courtesy of four penalties, one conversion and a drop-goal.
Twenty nine-years on from that 1987 showpiece, Ryan will aim to emulate his father’s achievements when he represents New Zealand alongside fellow Kiwi Danny Lee at Kingston Heath Golf Club, in Melbourne.
Grant, who was on the New Zealand board of selectors for last year’s World Cup triumph, will be outside the ropes when his son makes his World Cup of Golf bow from November 24-27.
And Ryan, whose grandfather Merv Wallace played for the New Zealand cricket team between 1937 and 1953, will draw inspiration from his Dad’s exploits when he attempts to add another chapter to the Fox family’s history of sporting excellence.
He said: “I’d only just been born when my Dad won the World Cup in 1987, so my memories of it are fairly sketchy! I do remember the 1995 World Cup final, when the All Blacks lost to South Africa after extra time, but my Dad had stopped playing by then.
“I’ve watched the full video of the ’87 final a couple of times, and also seen the highlights plenty of times. It was a completely different game back then, so it’s very interesting comparing it to modern-day rugby. It was a very good final, and obviously a historic result for the All Blacks.
I hadn’t really thought about following in Dad’s footsteps, but it’ll be cool to play in a World Cup like him.
Ryan Fox
“As soon as I told Mum and Dad, they booked their flights and accommodation, so they’re as excited about it as I am.
“It’ll be the first time in six months that I’ll see them, so it’ll be good to catch up and hopefully I can put on a bit of a show and make them proud. Golf is obviously a very different sport to rugby, but any time you represent your country, it’s always a very proud moment.”
Fox recently represented his homeland in the Olympic Games in Rio, where he finished in a tie for 39th place, with his fellow Kiwi Danny Lee claiming a share of 27th.
Having won the Northern Ireland Open on the European Challenge Tour on his last appearance before the Olympics, and finished in his top ten in three of his four previous starts, Fox had high hopes and so was mildly disappointed by his performance in Rio.
Nonetheless, he thoroughly enjoyed the experience away from the course, mingling with his fellow Olympians in the athletes’ village and spending time with Lee, with whom he will again link up in the World Cup of Golf.
Fox is hoping the two will form a fruitful partnership, and believes the experiences they shared in Rio will stand them in good stead at Kingston Heath.
He said: “The Olympics was such an amazing experience, on and off the course, and I’m sure the World Cup will be just as exciting. It’s definitely one of the biggest tournaments I will have played in my career, so it was a thrill to get the call from Danny [Lee] to ask me to be his team-mate.
“We played a fair bit of amateur golf together, so I already knew him reasonably well. But we hadn’t seen much of each other in recent years because he plays in America, so it was good to spend some time with him in Rio. He hasn’t changed a bit in the time he’s been away, we had a great time in the Olympics talking a load of nonsense – which is what us Kiwis are known for!
“Especially in foursomes, it’s important to have a partner you get along with. It’s a tough format and you’re likely to put your partner in trouble at some point in the round, so if you can give one another stick about it then it relieves some of the tension! We both tend to make quite a lot of birdies, so hopefully we can complement one another well in foursomes and not birdie too many of the same holes.”
Fox’s excitement at teeing up in the World Cup of Golf is heightened by the prospect of returning to Melbourne, one of his favourite cities, and Kingston Heath, a course he fell in love with during the 2012 Australian Masters – a tournament won by his fellow World Cup competitor, Adam Scott.
He said: “Melbourne is such a great city, especially from a golfing perspective. It probably has the greatest concentration of quality golf courses anywhere in the world, so I’ve always loved visiting.
“Kingston Heath is such a fantastic course. It’s definitely one of the best courses in Australia, and it’s always in perfect condition. I’m sure it’ll be the same for the World Cup, so I can’t wait to get there and see it again.”
