New Zealanders wake to a new major champion, heap praise on Ryan Fox

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — When Ryan Fox rolled in a 12-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole at Royal Birkdale to win the British Open by one shot, it was just past 5.30 a.m. in his homeland and the sun hadn't yet risen.

Most New Zealanders woke Monday to a wintry morning and the news their small nation had its fourth major golf champion.

Those who followed Fox on television throughout the night were able to watch him lift the Claret Jug before heading bleary-eyed but happily to work.

Sir Bob Charles, who was New Zealand's first major winner and the first left-handed player to win a major when he won the British Open in 1963, is now 90 and watched Fox's found round in replay at a more congenial hour.

“I’m watching this in color. In my day, it was all black and white,” Charles told the New Zealand Herald newspaper of the TV coverage. “I’m watching every hole that he’s playing. In my day, they only had about the last three or four holes.”

Charles praised Fox for the pace at which he plays the game which goes against a modern tendency toward slow play. Fox hesitated for barely 30 seconds over the final putt that allowed him to join Charles, Michael Campbell and Lydia Ko as a major-winner from New Zealand.

“Ryan is a refreshing player,” Charles told the Herald. “He plays the way the game should be played, the way it used to be played and should be played. And that is: you get on with it, and you don’t spend half an hour lining up every putt.

“Let’s hope that Ryan can be a great example of how the game should be played now, even when you’re playing for, you know, $100 million!”

New Zealand's Parliament is in recess. Had it been in session politicians likely would have taken the opportunity to lavish praise on Fox, seeking some of his reflected glory.

Instead, New Zealanders rushed to social media to praise the 39-year-old Fox, a third-generation sporting champion within his family. His father, Grant Fox, was an All Blacks rugby star and winner of the 1987 Rugby World Cup. His grandfather, Merv Wallace, was a captain of the New Zealand cricket team.

Fox touched on the family history after his win.

“We’ve got a great history in our family,” he said. “The other great thing is I had no pressure on me to follow in any of their footsteps. I don’t know if this tops their achievements, but it’s certainly right up there. I guess there’s no pressure on my kids going forward now!”

As if in tribute, the New Zealand cricket team completed a match and series win over the West Indies in the Caribbean just hours after Fox's triumph.

At Fox's home course, the Royal Auckland and Grange Golf Club, club captain Ian Blair said “you couldn’t find a nicer guy and more worthy champion golfer.”

“Our club has been privileged to watch Ryan develop from a fine young man with potential to a champion player and member,” Blair said.

Club chief executive Ian Chapman told the Stuff news website members will be queuing up to buy Fox a beer.

Michael Campbell, the 2005 U.S. Open champion, described Fox's effort as “an incredible feat ... to beat the world's best players in a difficult situation.”

“I got to experience that 21 years ago. It's mind-blowing. It really changes your world and he's up there with the best players in the world now,” Campbell said on the New Zealand Herald's Ryan Bridge today podcast.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Ryan Fox of New Zealand hugs his caddie Dean Smith after winning the British Open Golf championships at Royal Birkdale golf club, in Southport, England, Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Ryan Fox of New Zealand holds up Claret Jug trophy after winning the British Open Golf championships at Royal Birkdale golf club, in Southport, England, Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

The official score board over the 18th green congratulating Ryan Fox of New Zealand for winning the British Open Golf championships at Royal Birkdale golf club, in Southport, England, Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Ryan Fox of New Zealand poses with the Claret Jug trophy after winning the British Open Golf championships at Royal Birkdale golf club, in Southport, England, Sunday, July 19, 2026. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

LONDON (AP) — British prosecutors charged a 28-year-old man with murder Monday in the death of former politician and reality TV contestant Ann Widdecombe.

Joshua Kerry was charged after more than a week in custody on suspicion of murder and acts of terror. Police are continuing to investigate his motive, including a potential political or terrorist connection, prosecutors said.

The death of Widdecombe, 78, a former member of Parliament, shocked the British political world, where Widdecombe was a prominent voice for decades. She was a blunt-speaking character known for socially conservative views opposing abortion and the expansion of LGBTQ+ rights.

Police said they believe Widdecombe was attacked July 8. She failed to appear that afternoon for a scheduled TV interview and was found dead the next day in her isolated rural home in a southwest England village.

Police did not disclose a cause of death, saying only that she had sustained “serious injuries” in what they called a targeted and brutal attack.

Kerry was arrested July 11 in South Yorkshire county in northern England, more than 200 miles (320 kilometers) from the village of Haytor on the edge of Dartmoor National Park, where Widdecombe was found dead Thursday.

Kerry remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.

He was originally arrested on suspicion of murder, but after finding new evidence while he was custody, he was rearrested on suspicion of commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.

Widdecombe was in the House of Commons from 1987 to 2010, serving in roles including prisons minister in Prime Minister John Major’s 1990s Conservative government.

She found fame after leaving Parliament as a contestant on the reality television shows “Strictly Come Dancing” and “Celebrity Big Brother.”

She later joined the Brexit Party, briefly serving as a member of the European Parliament before Britain left the European Union in 2020. Most recently, she joined the anti-immigration Reform UK party, often appearing in the media as a spokesperson.

The killing has renewed concerns for politicians about security, which was tightened in the past decade after the murders of two serving members of Parliament. Labour lawmaker Jo Cox was shot and stabbed in 2016 by a far-right extremist, and Conservative David Amess was stabbed in 2021 by an attacker inspired by the Islamic State group.

Police outside the house of former lawmaker Ann Widdecombe, in Haytor, England, Friday July 10, 2026, after she was found dead in her home on Thursday with serious injuries. (Matt Keeble/PA via AP)

FILE -Ann Widdecombe, Brexit Party member, is interviewed after Nigel Farage, Leader of Britain's Brexit Party, spoke on stage at the launch of their policies for the General Election campaign, in London, Nov. 22, 2019. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)