New Zealand golfer Ryan Fox Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Auckland golfer Ryan Fox admits he has had some issues adjusting to the US PGA Tour but feels it's starting to come together for him now.
Since turning professional in 2012, Fox has played the majority of his career in Europe, but in 2023 split his time on the World Tour and in the US.
He's now full-time on the USPGA tour and on Friday tees it up in the $40 million Players Championship in Florida.
The 37-year-old has made the cut twice in the four tournaments he's played this year.
"It's different over here, the travel is different than Europe, the courses are different and it's taken a little while to get used to," he told RNZ.
"It's a new challenge and one I can hopefully step up to in the next few weeks.
"The golf games not quite been there so far but there have been some signs of it and I've got plenty of golf to play yet this year."
Fox has his family with him at his Florida base and he said that has also taken an adjustment for them all.
He has always wanted to play full time in the US and he said it is living up to his expectations.
"I got a taste of it last year and got to play a bunch of events I'd always dreamed of and it's pretty cool to say, when my career ends, that I actually did play on the PGA Tour."
The 17th hole island green at The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
This week Fox gets to play the TPC Sawgrass course at Ponte Vedra Beach again.
It contains the iconic 17th Island Green.
"It's a great golf course, but it's definitely tricky, it's not overly long but there is plenty of water around and so it kind of feels that there is disaster looming on every hole.
"The 17th doesn't seem like that hard of a shot on a Monday and Tuesday, but (during the tournament) you've got a few thousand people there pretty much waiting for a car accident.
"It's quite intimidating and you can never let your guard down and you can make two, or five, or even worse than that there very quickly."
The Players Championship is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year with Scottie Scheffler the defending champion.
New Zealand's Craig Perks won the tournament in 2002.
This year's winner will pocket $7.3 million.
