Ten-shot turnaround

Ryan Fox went out in 39 Thursday but birdied six of his final seven holes to come home in 29 and set a new record for the lowest back nine in the history of The Open Championship.

By Nick Menta

Ryan Fox shaved 10 shots off his score between the front and back nines on Thursday at Royal Portrush en route the lowest back-nine total in 148 years of Open Championship history. 

Making his fourth Open start, the 32-year-old Kiwi birdied six of his final seven holes on the Dunluce Links to close in 6-under 29, becoming the first man to go sub-30 on an inward loop. 

Flirting with an early exit come Friday after three bogeys in his first nine holes, Fox at 3 under par was just one off the lead when he entered the clubhouse.

Fifteen players had previously broken 30 for nine holes at The Open, but oddly enough they had all done it on the front.

Denis Durnian holds the record for the low nine in an Open with a first-nine 28 in the second round of 1983 Open at Royal Birkdale.