Kiwi golfer Ryan Fox is continuing to cross off goals and chase new ones after reaching another "dream come true" with his impressive performance at the recent PGA Championship.
Fox has earned Special Temporary Status to the US PGA Tour for the remainder of the season after finishing in a tie for 23rd at Oak Hill in New York - a card that came with a $263,000 prize.
But the prize money didn't mean as much to Fox as his new status did which allows him to play more events on the PGA Tour for the rest of the year, having based himself in the European Tour recently.
"It's a dream come true," Fox told Breakfast.
"It means I can play a bunch more out here [in the US] for the rest of the year. It's literally, maybe not what I grew up wanting to do, but what I've wanted for the last 10 to 15 years.
"It's a big goal ticked off."
Fox needed to finish 59th or better at the PGA Championship in order to earn the status - a target that could have been troublesome after he went in "underdone" for the major due to a series of events including sickness, the Auckland floods and the birth of his second daughter - but managed to put together a strong opening round to get his week rolling.
With the PGA Tour now open to him, Fox said he will play both tours with one goal in mind - permanent PGA Tour membership.
"I've got two chances to get it this year - one is through the PGA Tour so I've still got to finish in the top 125 of their points list and I'm about probably halfway to what that would need to be at the end of the year and we've also got some cards available through Europe, through the European tour," he said.
"I've got two options there and I'm going to play up until the British Open in July and see where I sit on both tours and make a decision for the rest of the year based on what looks like the better chance to get a PGA Tour card."
Fox has gone from strength to strength in the past 18 months with five top 30 finishes in 2023 continuing the stellar 2022 he put together to reach a career-best World No.21 ranking at the start of the year.
Despite the rapid rise seeing him rubbing shoulders with the likes of Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler and Cam Smith, Fox said he's gotten used to stardom surrounding him.
"I just travel around and whack a golf ball and hope I do half-okay at it."
Should he continue to do just that he could reach his current goal of permanent membership by the end of the year, forcing him to set an even loftier target - a major title.
"In the last couple of years I think it's gone from a pipe dream to something that maybe isn't a reality but is a lot closer than it was - just getting to play in majors was a treat and now I feel like if I play at my best I can compete with the best in the world on that stage.
"I haven't quite done it but I think the first step is getting your head around competing with those guys and hopefully I get a few more chances to do that and put a good week together."
He could do just that next month when the next major, the US Open, tees off at the Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts.
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