Now, players are scaling these great heights in their early to mid-20s. The pros are peaking earlier, turning pro sooner and being up to the challenge a whole lot quicker than once upon a time.

Ryan Fox never had the golden ticket to the top flight of professional golf. No trip to college on a lucrative scholarship, no glorious amateur accolades, just a quiet determination, patience and the willingness to roll his sleeves up and do it the hard way.

The Kiwi’s rise through the ranks reflects the reward for perseverance in an era where instant success is glorified and often expected. At 38, his recent form shows he is in his pomp.

What we see on our screens now is an incredibly grounded, perspective-driven winner with all the traits to compete deep in major championships.

"Fox didn’t inherit a fast track. His route gave him no concessions, and as we see now, it has suited him. His development came through resilience, consistency and a clear-headed commitment to being better than he was the week before."

The Aucklander didn’t even turn to competitive golf until his 20s. He turned pro in 2012 at age 25 and had to start in far-flung, lower-tier events (winning the Fiji and Tahiti Opens). He won twice on the PGA Tour of Australasia in 2014–15, but these local victories were a world away from the glamour of golf’s big stage.

Fox’s journey involved gruelling travel, Q-Schools and second-tier Challenge Tour events rather than the cushioned path of a sponsored college graduate or being gifted exemptions like a precocious young superstar. He fought tooth and nail and earned his every start.

It isn’t an uncommon route for budding pros in this part of the world, but it certainly shaped the way Fox plays and views the game.

Fox’s first forays as a pro were on home and regional soil. In 2015, he moved into the European Challenge Tour circuit, claiming his first big international win at the Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge in France. He continued to grind through the Challenge Tour, and in 2016, scored a breakthrough by winning the Tayto Northern Ireland Open.

That victory helped him finish fourth on the Challenge Tour rankings, enough to graduate to the main DP World Tour for 2017.

This was when the name became more recognisable as he made his way through the ranks in Europe.

Ryan Fox prepares at Oakmont with Sydney's Cam Davis. PHOTO: Getty Images.

Fox never sought comparisons, but they came for a chunk of his career anyway.

Being the son of Grant Fox - one of New Zealand rugby’s most iconic figures - meant carrying a surname that rarely went unnoticed, especially in his homeland and the UK.

From the outset, Fox diverted to a different course. To lonely Monday qualifiers, low-profile, minimal prize-money events on Europe’s Challenge Tour, and the long grind of a sport where progress and margins are razor-thin.

Fox didn’t inherit a fast track. His route gave him no concessions, and as we see now, it has suited him. His development came through resilience, consistency, and a clear-headed commitment to being better than he was the week before.

He did inherit a champion philosophy of his father, as he mentioned in his post round press conference after we saw Fox win his second PGA Tour event in five weeks. On the fourth play-off hole against Sam Burns, Fox hit the shot of his life under pressure. A fairway metal to eight feet, winning the tournament.

“The Kiwi’s rise through the ranks reflects the reward for perseverance in an era where instant success is glorified and often expected. At 38, his recent form shows he is in his pomp.”

“He [Dad] would always drill into me, if you work hard, no matter what happens, you can always be satisfied with the result. Whether you make it or not, whether you succeed or not, you can always look back with your head held high. If you don't work hard, there's always going to be a, 'What if I did this differently?'” Fox said.

He is 2/2 in PGA Tour play-offs and shows remarkable ability to get the job done when the pressure is most extreme.

That journey is often overlooked. It reveals a player less interested in headlines than in building something sustainable. It’s why his recent and rapid rise on the PGA Tour, including breakthrough performances against the strongest fields in the game, feels more like the natural next chapter than a sudden leap.

Fox put his head down and worked through golf’s toughest proving grounds - regional circuits, final-stage qualifiers and second-tier tours where performance is the only currency.

We have watched is recent rise to centre stage on the PGA Tour and before that the DP World Tour, and we have witnessed it through periods of major championships. The game Fox plays results from a product built from the ground up - steady, reliable and shaped to hold up when it matters most. He is a mature and calculated competitor who knows what the hard road looks like and is reaping the rewards of resilience.