Fox had finished second in last year's team event in Scotland alongside the former Test leg-spinner, who died earlier this year.

And after making seven birdies and three bogeys on the Old Course at St Andrews on Sunday to secure his third DP World Tour title in front of his family, Fox remembered Warne, a former amateur team-mate at the event.

He said: "To be honest the only person I can really think of at the moment is Warney.

"I felt that Warney was with me this week. You need a little bit of luck in golf and I felt that he was that today.

"He absolutely loved this tournament and we had an awful lot of fun here over the years. A lot of people missed him this week including myself but I'm pretty proud to get the job done and remember him like that."

RIGHT: Fox paid tribute to the late Shane Warne after the winning, the pair regular partners at this event each year. PHOTO: Richard Heathcoate/Getty Images.

"He meant a lot to me and this event and was a great mate. It's a terrible shame he's not here."

Fox's mother and father – former All Blacks star Grant Fox – are in Europe for a month and were at St Andrews to witness a magnificent closing 68, which took Fox to 15-under-par, one stroke ahead of Callum Shinkwin and Alex Noren.

Fox went into the final round four shots off the lead but three birdies in his first seven holes saw him hit the front before a combination of magnificent approach play and brilliance on the greens helped the 35-year-old extend his advantage to three strokes with three to play.

Fox suffered a late scare at the 17th but managed to limit the damage to just one dropped shot before safely parring the last to claim his second DP World Tour crown of the 2022 campaign.

RELATED: Inside Fox's winning bag

Rory McIlroy finished in a tie for fourth on 13-under after making seven birdies and a single bogey. David Micheluzzi was the highest-placed Australian carding a final round 71 to finish equal 36th on five-under.

Shinkwin and Alex Acquavella won the team event by three shots on 37-under-par.