As Ryan Fox strolls the greens at the Wentworth Club this week, he’s not just walking down the fairway—he’s wandering down memory lane, ready to defend his BMW PGA Championship title.
Remember last year? That was when Fox clinched his first Rolex Series title right here, in a finish so thrilling it could barely be scripted, cheered on by a crowd that included his own kin watching eagerly.
That victory wasn’t just a trophy for the mantle; it catapulted Fox to a career-high fifth in the Race to Dubai Rankings and snagged him a spot on the PGA TOUR.
At 37, Fox is in fine form, having notched up a couple of top-ten finishes this season on both the DP World Tour and the PGA TOUR.
Yet, despite the solid showing, he’s been chasing the kind of inner peace he found on last year’s back nine—hoping to recapture that calm in the clutch this time around.
Ryan Fox: It’s hard to describe what it is, but seeing my name up there, seeing me up there, defending champion, is pretty amazing, and it’s going to be a cool week to come back and defend here.
It was the calmest I’ve been on a golf course. Calmest I’ve been on this golf course coming down the stretch on a Thursday, let alone a Sunday with a chance to win.
It was just a very, in-the-zone experience last year. I didn’t think about anything else but hitting the shot I hit. I was just in control and then it was a bit of a whirlwind last year. Looking back, those are memories I can’t buy. Amazing to have those and looking back on the golf I played last year, it was calm and actually felt relatively easy. Wish I could get back there again.
You hit one perfect shot, like I can do that, and you don’t hit another one for a hundred shots and you go, this game is so frustrating. I had probably one of the best nine holes of golf I’ll ever play in my life on that back nine on Sunday last year. If it is the best nine holes of golf I’ll of play, it was a good situation to do it in.
But it’s not just Fox looking to relive the glory days. Justin Rose is also at Wentworth, chasing a win he says would tick a major box on his personal bucket list.
With a history of strong performances here—Rose has landed in the top ten five times, including two seconds—he’s a formidable presence.
He’s had his ups and downs, with only three missed cuts in 19 appearances, but he’s always a contender.
Justin Rose: Fantastic to be back at the BMW PGA Championship, especially when the sun is shining. Obviously it’s getting to the back end of summer now and you’re always just hoping it can last one extra week, that we can have a great week this week, and it’s looking set to be perfect. Golf course is magnificent, beautifully green, and staged just perfectly for a big week.
Obviously a huge event on the DP World Tour, and a bucket list event for me from a personal point of view, memories of watching all the greats come through here as a kid. Special to be a part of it and to see my name on the occasional poster and things like that, it’s definitely always a slightly surreal tournament for me from that point of view.
I’ve seen my caddie Fooch win it with Billy Horschel, so it would be nice to win it with him as well, 100 per cent. It’s definitely one of my Majors [I’d like to win], and then pretty much outside of the Majors, I couldn’t really think of an event I’d love to win more than this one.
They’re not alone in the quest for the title. The field is stacked: Rory McIlroy, who’s had his name engraved on the BMW PGA Championship trophy before, and Bob MacIntyre, a recent winner in Dubai and Scotland, are in the mix.
Add Ryder Cup veterans like Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, Nicolai Højgaard, Shane Lowry, and Sepp Straka to the list, plus last week’s Amgen Irish Open victor Rasmus Højgaard, and you’ve got a leaderboard that could get anyone’s heart racing.
This isn’t just another tournament for Fox or Rose; it’s a return to a place where they’ve both tasted the sweetest victories and faced the toughest challenges.
The BMW PGA Championship isn’t only about who takes home the trophy—it’s about the moments that take your breath away, the shots that make the crowds roar, and the quiet resolve that pushes these athletes to excel on one of golf’s grandest stages.
So, grab your spot behind the ropes: this is going to be one heck of a show.
