Top Kiwi golfer Ryan Fox has locked in another year of his golfing and fishing tournament in Waihī Beach, after a vastly successful 2024 edition again raised more than $40,000 for local charities.

The fifth year of The Fox - presented by Shimano Fishing New Zealand - drew a record 25 teams, alongside sporting celebrities like Black Caps pace bowler Trent Boult, All Black wing Caleb Clarke, rower Eric Murray, former All Black Christian Cullen, local-raised trampoline star Dylan Schmidt, professional golfer Mark Brown and Bay of Plenty rugby stars Kurt Eklund and Naitoa Ah Kuoi.

After two days of fishing and golf, Saturday night’s charity auction alone raised more than $25,000 for the Waihī Surf Lifesaving Club and the Waihī Beach Volunteer Coastguard, taking the total over the five years of the event well past the $200,000 mark.

Celebrity skippers Eric Murrya, Ryan Fox, Kurt Eklund, Naitoa Ah Kuoi, Dylan Schmidt and Caleb Clarke at The Fox. Photo / Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media

“I just can’t speak highly enough of what those two charities do and I’m incredibly proud of how we’ve been able to help them over the past five years,” Fox said.

“It costs a lot to save lives, to have the equipment and resources and training to be able to rescue and prevent drowning, and it’s a privilege to confirm that we’ll be back again next year to help put more money into their coffers.”

Fox attended the tournament with his family, wife Anneke and daughters Isabel and Margot, along with his father, former All Black great Grant.

With his 38th birthday on the horizon next month and having just completed his first fulltime year on the PGA Tour, the world No 80s focus for the next year is on supporting his growing clan as best as he can, on the way to getting back to The Fox next December.

“The biggest goal this year was getting into that top-125 on the PGA Tour [he ended in 118th spot] and having a job for next year - golf is pretty brutal like that - and next year I know the courses a little better, I know how the travel works and we’re going to do it a little bit different with the family, basing ourselves in Florida for the year.”

Trent Boult skittles tournament host Ryan Fox with a taped-up tennis ball at The Fox on Saturday. Photo / Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Mediay

Friday’s fishing day at The Fox was tough, although the strong southwesterly wind eased as the day went on and 90 fish were eventually caught.

Thomas Darling’s 17.397kg kingfish was the pick of the catch, with Brad Turner landing a 4.928kg snapper.

Brad Turner and his 4.928kg snapper at The Fox on Friday. Photo / Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media

Fox and Boult enjoyed a fiercely competitive long-drive battle as Saturday’s golf unfurled in beautiful conditions at the Waihī Golf Club, with Fox also getting in plenty of practice by providing shots for every team on the par-3 eighth hole and the par-5 12th.

Murray, who plays off a five-handicap, provided the magic touch for his Classic Developments team from Tauranga alongside Steve Cutfield, Brad Turner, Liam Geraghty and Jan Holwerda.

They claimed the overall title once the fishing and golf scores were tallied, with a combined score of 49.55.

Rowing legend Eric Murray tees off in the celebrity long-drive competition at The Fox on Saturday. Photo / Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media

That included a net Ambrose score of 50.8 in the golf, easily ahead of two other Tauranga teams, Cooney Lees Morgan and Bayleys Commercial, who couldn’t be separated after both scoring net 51.3 in the golf and needed Cooney’s superior fishing scores to break the deadlock.

A special highlight came at Saturday night’s prizegiving, when Hello Sailor members Harry Lyon and Paul Woolright popped in to play a couple of songs, before heading up for their main set at the Waihī Beach Hotel.

Event director, Sports Inc’s Kelsen Butler, said it was that sort of gesture, as well as the support from the local community, that made the event so special.

“It’s shaping up to be a long, hot summer and there will be a lot of people heading for Waihī Beach in the next few months,” Butler said.

Waihī Beach Lifeguard Service celebrated the opening of its new deck extension as The Fox 2024 got under way on Thursday night.  Photo / Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media

“Both the Waihī Surf Lifesaving Club and the Waihī Beach Volunteer Coastguard lead the way in saving lives every year. What they do is simply amazing, and it really is heart-warming to see so many businesses and supporters from around New Zealand and further afield come together to raise much-needed funds.

“Foxy’s schedule certainly doesn’t get any lighter as the years go by, which is a tribute to how he’s performing on the world stage, so we’re so grateful that he prioritises this event every year in a community that’s played a large part in his life.”

Tournament host Ryan Fox tees off in front of the Shimano team at The Fox on Saturday. Photo / Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media

Fox’s next event will be the Dubai Desert Classic in January, followed by the Ras Al Khaimah Championship at Al Hamra Golf Club in the United Arab Emirates in late January, a title he won in 2022.

Trent Boult on his boat 'Line and Length' hunting Homunga Bay fish at The Fox on Friday. Photo / Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media

Local Waihī Athletic team 'Dog Shooters' with the fruits of their spoils at The Fox on Friday. Photo / Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media

Tournament host Ryan Fox got amongst the fishing at The Fox on Friday. Photo / Jamie Troughton/Dscribe Media

- SunLive