Ryan Fox is determined to make the most of the next two weeks as he targets another strong finish in the Race to Dubai Rankings to earn the top PGA TOUR card.
Fox, who finished second to Tommy Fleetwood in last year's Nedbank Golf Challenge, arrives in South Africa following an impressive run of recent form that includes victory at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth and a runner-up finish during his defence at the weather-affected Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
Currently fourth on the Race to Dubai Rankings, Fox is enjoying a change of pace and weather as he looks to capitalise on the remaining two events of the season.
“I’ve spent the last couple of weeks in the UK and it’s been pretty grim weather-wise, so to come down to some sun, it’s just a fantastic part of the world," Fox said.
"I’ve been in the park a couple of times already this week, probably going again this afternoon. Golf course can be a bit tricky at times, but the whole week is just fantastic.
“I think last year I figured out the distance control a little bit better, that was always my issue, and really struggling to trust it. I think last year I went ‘just stuff it’ play it how it’s supposed to be and have a guess from there. Try to at least miss it in the right place. There’s a few holes where you can’t miss it short because of the water and there’s a lot of holes where you don’t want to miss it long. You have to hit it wherever the best miss is and I managed to do that well last year and made some putts and for the most part, kept it in play, which is key round here.
“I just think the weather is great, the people are great, the whole Sun City area is just a fantastic place to be. The golf course can be a bit tricky, I think people either love or hate the golf course, there’s not a whole lot in between, but the rest of the experience more than makes up for it.
"The fact you can go on safari, see a bunch of animals you wouldn’t get to see elsewhere, for the most part you get to see everything in there as well, and we get really well looked after as well."
A bet's a bet 🤝@ryanfoxgolfer loses a bet to his caddy meaning he had to play today's Pro-Am in a @Springboks shirt 🇿🇦#NGC2023 https://t.co/bCjxdyyou3 pic.twitter.com/OSoOh3KLTi
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) November 8, 2023
It's been another memorable season for Fox, who says he has proven to himself that last year wasn't a fluke after ending the season in second place on the Race to Dubai behind Rory McIlroy in 2022.
McIlroy is back on top again thanks to two Rolex series victories at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and the Genesis Scottish Open, but there is still a chance he can be caught.
“I mean mathematically I can probably win it but being a decent amount behind Rory is never going to be an easy ask," Fox added.
But there's more than the Race to Dubai at stake for players over the next two weeks.
Heading into this week, less than two points separate Ryan Fox (2773.39) and Poland’s Adrian Meronk (2775.19) in the season-long standings as they battle it out for the top PGA Tour card.
Ten PGA TOUR cards are available to the highest-ranked players who don’t already hold PGA TOUR status. Of those, the top finisher will be fully exempt for the following TOUR season, similar to players who finish in the top 125 in the FedExCup, with the added bonus of also earning a spot in THE PLAYERS Championship.
And while Fox admits that catching McIlroy would be a bonus, his main focus over the final two weeks in South Africa and Dubai is eradicating that gap between himself and Meronk in a bid to earn the top card.
"I ticked off a lot of boxes this year. One of the big goals was to try and get one of the PGA TOUR cards and I had an opportunity both ways to do it either through the PGA TOUR or the DP World Tour and I’m pretty chuffed to have been able to do it this way,” he said.
"I know there’s a couple of events to go but mathematically I should be okay for one of those top ten cards and to win Wentworth as well, our biggest event on Tour, that was huge. To come on strong in the back end of the year again, following last year, to technically have a chance to win the Race to Dubai again is pretty cool and it makes last year not look like a flash in the pan, which is nice."
“The goal at the start of the year was to just get one of the ten, but now after a good couple of weeks in Ireland, Wentworth and the Dunhill, the goal now is to get that top card.
“Adrian has played some fantastic golf this year so hopefully we can have a good little battle over the next couple of weeks. There’s a few other guys where it’ll definitely be at the forefront of their mind as well.”
In his last Tour start, Meronk earned his third victory of the season and fourth of his career at the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucia Masters, firing a six-under 66 on the final day to win by one shot and move ahead of Fox on the Race to Dubai Rankings.
But despite his current position, Meronk is trying to put any thoughts of holding the top PGA Tour card and his place in the standings to the back of his mind.
“I’m in a great position going into the last two weeks,” said Meronk.
"All I can do is focus on my game and play as well as I can. We’ll see what happens at the end of the week. I know there’s a big chasing pack behind me but I’m not going to think about it, just focus on my shots and see what we can do.”
Like Fox, Meronk is keen to make the most of enjoying the week in Sun City while hoping experience will help him to improve upon his tie for 36th on his debut at the Nedbank Golf Challenge last year.
“It’s great to be here,” he added. “It’s like a reward for us for a good season. It’s only 60 guys so it’s always nice to play those events at the end of the year, so I’m excited to get going. The course looks fantastic, the weather is going to be great, so I’m sure it’ll be a fun week.
“I’m probably going to do some more safari trips later this week. It’s amazing coming to places like this being able to do things like that. You’re not really able to do it anywhere else so whenever I come to Africa I try to do at least one safari. You can see the monkeys everywhere, it’s an unusual environment for us.
“It relaxes you, you can do other things. Sun City has a lot of things to offer, so it’s always fun to come here. Everyone brings their families, girlfriends, kids, it’s a fun week for everyone.
“It’s a tricky course to be honest. You have to get used to the grass and the altitude and the heat as well. The greens are tricky so the more rounds you play here, the easier it gets. It’s not easy but I think the experience pays off here. Hopefully, this year, I can improve on my result from last time."
