Fox’s victory felt earned rather than gifted. He handled the pressure of the closing stretch with remarkable composure, especially on a day when Royal Birkdale tested nearly everyone in the field. Young made a late surge with a stunning final-round 64, but Fox answered when it mattered most and became one of the few New Zealanders to win a men’s major championship. That alone makes the win a landmark for both player and country.

What made the final round even more compelling was the scoring depth around the top of the leaderboard. Sam Burns finished third at 8-under after a historic stretch that included consecutive rounds of 62 and 65, a run that put his iron play and scoring touch in the spotlight. In a major championship, strings of low rounds do more than create headlines — they show which players are striking the ball cleanly enough to survive the pressure of elite links golf. Burns’ performance was proof that Royal Birkdale could be attacked, but only by players making a very high percentage of quality swings.

The Open’s ending also sets up one of the quickest transitions in golf. The PGA Tour now moves straight to Minnesota for the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities, where players barely have time to reset before teeing it up again. That turnaround matters because the contrast between a windswept major venue and a U.S. tour stop can be physically and mentally exhausting. After days of battling links conditions, changing weather, and intense pressure, the challenge becomes less about form and more about recovery.

That is why the 3M Open could be just as interesting in its own way. Scottie Scheffler and other top names are back in action, and the timing means the tournament carries real FedExCup value. Players at the top of the standings are trying to keep momentum, while others are trying to take advantage of a field that may still be feeling the effects of The Open. In that sense, Minnesota becomes not just a regular PGA Tour stop, but the first major test after one of golf’s biggest stages.

The broader takeaway from the week is that golf’s calendar rarely gives players room to breathe. A champion is crowned at Royal Birkdale, records are broken, and then the tour immediately pivots to a completely different challenge. Fox now walks away with the sport’s silverware, Burns leaves with history on his scorecard, and the rest of the field has to decide how quickly it can shift gears for another week of FedExCup racing.

For Curry, golf has always been more than a casual offseason escape. He has been around the sport since childhood, learned early from his father Dell, and grew into a player who is comfortable handling pressure on a course in much the same way he handles it on a basketball court. That background explains why his performances in celebrity events consistently feel different from the usual celebrity-golfer storyline. He is not simply showing up for a photo opportunity; he is genuinely trying to win.

That competitiveness has already paid off before. Curry famously won the American Century Championship in 2023, and that victory mattered because it confirmed what many golf fans and basketball fans had already suspected: his swing, touch and game management are far beyond what most people expect from a superstar from another sport. He even shot a dramatic final-hole eagle to seal the title, a finish that only strengthened his reputation as someone who thrives when the stakes rise.

What makes Curry so compelling as a golfer is that his success does not look accidental. He has long been described as a scratch-level player, which means he is capable of playing near par on tough courses, an impressive standard for anyone outside professional golf. His mechanics are polished, his short game is sharp and his composure is unusually strong for a player whose main profession is something entirely different. That combination is rare, and it is why every strong finish he posts draws attention.

The third-place result also fits the larger story of Curry’s sporting personality. He has always been someone who embraces competition in every form, whether it is basketball, golf or anything else that gives him a scoreboard. Fans have watched him become one of the greatest shooters in NBA history, but his golf performances add another layer to his legacy. They show the same discipline, the same feel for rhythm and the same ability to deliver when it matters.

There is also a deeper reason why Curry’s golf story resonates. He has used his love for the game to build opportunities for others through initiatives such as Underrated Golf, helping bring more visibility and access to young players who might otherwise be left out. That makes his success on the course feel bigger than personal achievement. It ties into a broader effort to grow the game and make it more inclusive, which adds meaning to every event he enters.

So while a third-place finish at the American Century Championship may not be the same as lifting a trophy, it still says a lot about Stephen Curry. It reminds everyone that his golf game is real, his winning instinct travels with him, and his name belongs in conversations well beyond basketball. For a man who has already changed one sport, the fact that he can still turn heads in another only makes his story more remarkable.