![\"Ryan](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/golf_monthly_808\/b361da44362abdb760c74ddcce574ef4.jpeg\"\/)
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Ryan Fox secured the Claret Jug in a thrilling finale on Sunday<\/a>, with a final hole birdie handing him the title by a single stroke.<\/p>\n It was an impressive performance from the New Zealander who, prior to the start of the championship, made some notable changes to his equipment<\/a>, introducing a new driver, fairway wood and utility iron to the set-up.<\/p>\n In fact, the victory for Fox ended a men’s Major winless run for a specific manufacturer, as well as a specific-type of putter, bucking the recent trend within the professional game…<\/p>\n Credit: Getty Images<\/p>\n Using a Srixon ZXi RKT LS+, it was the first men’s Major win for the brand in the driver department since Brooks Koepka’s triumph at the PGA Championship in 2023.<\/p>\n That championship, the American was using a Srixon ZX5 LS Mk II. It was Srixon’s fourth Major driver triumph since The Open Championship in 2019<\/a>, as Shane Lowry used the Z 585 at Royal Portrush and Hideki Matsuyama the ZX5 to win The Masters in 2021.<\/p>\n For Fox, the move to the ZXi RKT LS+ came just weeks before he won at Royal Portrush, with Srixon introducing the ZXi RKT to its staffers at the Travelers Championship<\/a> the month before.<\/p>\n Along with the change of driver head, the 39-year-old also changed his driver shaft, as he moved out of a Mitsubishi Diamana and into a Fujikura Ventus Black 7 X.<\/p>\n Because of the changes, Fox ranked 14th in Strokes Gained: Driving for the week, as he averaged 313.9 yards off the tee, hitting 57.1% of his fairways.<\/p>\n Getty Images<\/p>\n Mentioning golf shafts, an interesting point is that Fox’s putter actually featured a KBS C-Taper 130 Black PVD 8-iron shaft, which measures at 40 inches.<\/p>\n Because Fox has an armlock-style putting action<\/a>, the extra length helps the grip sit on his forearm, with the method helping him to make some crucial putts going down the stretch in Southport.<\/p>\n At the beginning of the week, much was made around Cameron Smith moving into a mallet-style putter<\/a> having used a blade flatstick for the entirety of his professional career.<\/p>\n However, on Sunday, Fox showed that blade-style putters aren’t going out of fashion just yet, registering a first men’s Major win for that type of model<\/a> since Bryson DeChambeau at the 2024 US Open.<\/p>\n DeChambeau was the last male golfer to win a Major using a blade-style putter | Credit: Getty Images<\/p>\n Wielding a Ping Anser 2.0, it’s the only non-Srixon or Cleveland club in Fox’s bag, enabling him to top the Putts Holed Distance standings for the week with a whopping 458.3-feet.<\/p>\n Such was his dominance on the greens, Fox also led the field in SG: Putting, gaining 8.755 shots on the field. He was 2.2 shots clear of Nick Taylor in second, who gained 6.594 shots with the putter.<\/p>\n As mentioned, the win is the first Major for a blade putter since DeChambeau used a SIK Pro C-Series Armlock at Pinehurst No.2.<\/p>\n![\"Ryan](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/golf_monthly_808\/d284631d447a45699b65cab8394bd6c4.jpeg\"\/)
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