Kiwi golf legend Ryan Fox has opened up about his rough mental health journey during his most successful year. 

He’s had some wild highs in his career - some DP world tour wins, teeing up at the Masters, two PGA tour wins in 2025 - living the golf dream most Kiwis could only imagine. But not everything is always sunshine and rainbows. 

The 37-year-old jumped on the Between Two Beers podcast and delivered some gold - from his infamous WhatsApp chat and hilarious golf yarns to brutally honest talk about mental health, family, and how 2023 almost broke him. 

Fox described 2023 as the year he played the events “he dreamed of growing up”, and it finally started to hit him that he belonged at the top level. 

I probably always believed that I was good enough, but I hadn’t proved it to myself.

He said he felt like his game finally “stacked up pretty well” and that he was getting used to the pressure and rhythm of the PGA Tour. 

But at the same time, life off the course was starting to collapse. 

His daughter Margo was due in May of ‘23, and it was around the same time that both his in-laws were diagnosed with cancer. Fox said he was “really close” with them, so the news hit hard. 

He reflects on his findings about his father-in-law on the Sunday night of the Masters, where he was also battling pneumonia. 

That night was “a downer for me on so many levels,” according to Fox. 

This downward slope continued when, a week later, he pulled the plug on Hilton Head after nine holes because he was too sick. 

But then, some joy came. His youngest daughter, Margo, was born. 

A week after she was born, he had to leave for the PGA championships, leaving behind a newborn and his father-in-law starting to deteriorate in the hospital.

“It was pretty fucking messed up.” 

He went back and forth between tournaments and home, trying to keep his head above water. Before the U.S. Open, his father-in-law was in hospice, and Fox knew the goodbye before he left would be their last. 

“It was probably the worst I’ve treated myself during a golf tournament,” he admitted. “I got drunk three or four times during the week - I didn’t know how else I was going to deal with this.”

Reflecting on it all, Fox said the early part of 2023 was “a complete and utter mess, and I still managed to somehow play half-decent golf during it.” 

It was a pretty massive year for me in terms of career, but it was a pretty fucking awful year for the family.

Fox said that “golf became an escape”, and his compartmentalising skills sharpened during this time. He dealt with the family stuff when he had time, but while at golf, that’s all he focused on.

While he didn’t grieve the way he thinks he maybe should’ve, that’s just the way he knew how to. 

It’s a stark reminder that no matter how good someone looks from the outside, you never really know what they’re going through. The life of a professional athlete isn’t always as glamorous as it seems.

Fox also opened up about the years following - his hip tear in ‘24 that slowed him down, the grind of travelling 20 weeks with his family, his bromance with Rory McIlroy, eventually, the sweet success of two PGA tour wins. 

To top it all off, his dad, All Black legend Grant Fox, had an emotional message for him, detailing just how proud he is of Ryan. Not just for his golf, but for the person that he is. 

If you haven’t listened yet, it’s worth every second. It’s raw, funny, and full of perspective from one of Kiwi’s best athletes. 

Love it, Foxy, always in your corner. 

Are you or someone you know struggling with mental health? Check out a bunch of helpful links or resources here.