(Reuters) – New Zealander Ryan Fox said he felt almost drunk late in the opening round at the WGC-Mexico Championship on Thursday, after flying across the Pacific Ocean at the last minute to play in the $10.25 million event.
Golf – European Tour – Scottish Open – Gullane GC, Gullane, Scotland, Britain – July 13, 2018 New Zealand’s Ryan Fox reacts during the second round Action Images via Reuters/Craig Brough
Fox on Sunday won for the first time on the European Tour when he captured the World Super 6 tournament in Perth, Australia.
He flew home to celebrate with a spot of fishing and a few drinks, and it was not until Tuesday that he found out he had earned a late spot into the World Golf Championships event.
It was an invitation he could not turn down.
“I think I was sixth or seventh reserve at the start of the week, so you don’t think you’re going to get in a WGC from that far away,” Fox told reporters after shooting a respectable one-over-par 72 at Club de Golf Chapultepec.
“I did get one day off. And I might have had a couple of glasses of wine in there, but it’s been a pretty hectic last four or five days.”
Fox did not arrive in Mexico City until Wednesday night, and could get excused for having a hefty dose of jet lag, with the 2200-metre elevation only adding to the effects.
“Fell asleep at 10.30, no problem, and woke up wide at midnight, and took a sleeping pill about half past one, and didn’t know what planet I was on when the alarm went at seven this morning,” he said.
“I actually felt all right for most of the round, and (then) it really hit me and kind of felt drunk almost the last five or six holes.
“The head was lightheaded, and I hung on pretty well, holed a couple of decent putts coming home just to limit the damage.”
Fox was equal 35th, nine strokes behind leader Rory McIlroy.
Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; editing by Sudipto Ganguly