Well, this is just bizarre. Ryan Fox, fresh off clutching that shiny Claret Jug like it owed him money, has decided the 3M Open can go on without him. It’s like winning the lottery and then politely declining a free donut. Hours after tasting immortal glory at Royal Birkdale, he’s apparently traded in the roar of the crowd for the gentle hum of his own mattress. You’ve got to wonder if holding that big, heavy trophy makes the idea of grinding out a living on a Tuesday in Minnesota seem a tad… well, a tad meh.
The golf schedule, bless its overstuffed heart, keeps throwing these curveballs. Aaron Rai, another chap who recently snagged his own first major, also decided a nap was in order rather than an immediate sprint back to the tee. Meanwhile, Wyndham Clark, who apparently didn't get the memo about post-major exhaustion, went and played the Travelers Championship – probably because it had a considerably larger pile of cash. Then there’s Rory, bless his drama-loving soul, skipping the RBC Heritage after his Masters win. It’s shaping up to be a trend: win a major, then immediately go into hibernation.
Fox, now lounging at a rather comfortable 22nd in the rankings (up from a less-than-glamorous 56th), can clearly afford to be philosophical. I can just picture him, perhaps with a metaphorical cigar, weighing the existential dread of prize money against the sheer, unadulterated joy of absolutely schooling everyone on the biggest stage. This whole "Oh, I won The Open, guess I'll just… go home now" thing is a bit of an anticlimax, isn't it? It makes you question the whole point of professional golf. Is it about the glory, or just strategically avoiding Mondays?
Oh, and speaking of the 3M Open, Stefano Mazzoli is in. He’s got a two-year exemption from winning the Corales Puntacana Championship, which is a solid achievement for someone only three starts into his tour career. Let’s hope Mazzoli rocks up with a bit more… gusto, and isn't contemplating the deep meaning of life while lining up a three-footer.