Fox plots Scheffler NZ lure as Ian Baker-Finch courts No.1
Ryan Fox is set to bend world No.1 Scottie Scheffler's ear about a New Zealand trip after Scheffler said his wife has always wanted to visit, while Ian Baker Finch is separately pitching Australia to the same star at The Open. Fox says Tara Iti members want Scheffler hosted for social golf like Rory McIlroy.
Key Takeaways
- Fox has been urged by people at home, including Tara Iti members, to lobby Scheffler after the American flagged interest in New Zealand.
- Scheffler said he would love to play more internationally, naming Australia and New Zealand as places his young family would enjoy.
- Ian Baker Finch, Australian PGA chair and 1991 Open champion, has met Scheffler and his manager at Royal Birkdale about playing Down Under.
- A New Zealand Open start at Millbrook looks unlikely; a McIlroy-style social visit is the more realistic pathway.
- Baker-Finch says big names still need major appearance fees and scheduling help despite a Golf Australia–PGA Tour partnership.
How does Ryan Fox plan to lure Scottie Scheffler to New Zealand?
Speaking ahead of the 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, Fox said messages from home asked him to "get in his ear."
"Obviously, there's been a lot of guys come down, Rory was the big one...he came down to New Zealand and played some social golf down at Tara Iti," Fox said, according to Stuff.
"So, I've definitely had a couple of members from there get in my ear and say 'come on, get Scottie down here, we'd love to host him'."
Scheffler featuring at the New Zealand Open in Millbrook is unlikely, Stuff reported, but a social visit remains possible. Fox also noted the PGA Tour's tie-up with Australia's Open as a positive for the region going forward.
What did Scottie Scheffler say about New Zealand and Australia?
Recent PGA Tour schedule changes have Scheffler eyeing more international golf. The four-time major winner said he is balancing a young family with a desire to travel.
"I'm at a time in my life where I have a young family at home and young kids," Scheffler said. "I love golf and I would love to be able to play more internationally, like Australia."
"New Zealand is a place we would love to be able to go to. My wife has always wanted to go to New Zealand."
That interest is also feeding Australia's recruitment push, tracked in our Celebrity Breaking News coverage of golf's biggest names.
Where does Ian Baker Finch fit into the Scheffler chase?
While Fox works the New Zealand angle, Ian Baker Finch has turned his 35th anniversary return to Royal Birkdale into a recruitment drive for Australian events.
The former Open champion and current Australian PGA chair told AAP he has talked to Scheffler and his manager, adding Jordan Spieth "wants to come back again too."
"We have great golf courses, they want to come and play, would love to fit it in," he said. He expects strong fields at the Australian PGA Championship and Australian Open, improving further after 2028.
Cameron Smith has jokingly floated "unreal meat pies and flat whites," but Baker-Finch warned million-dollar appearance fees still matter when stars chase US$20 million Signature Events each week. Separately, an Australian star has urged Open organisers to prioritise sandbelt courses if they want more of the world's best Down Under.