Only three other Kiwi men have spent time inside the top 50 since the OWGR system was launched in 1986, with 2005 US Open champion Michael Campbell peaking at No 12, Frank Nobilo getting as high as 21 and Danny Lee ranked 34th in February 2016.
It caps a remarkable rise for Fox, who started the year ranked a lowly 213th and was recently snubbed for the Presidents Cup for a player ranked 67 places lower than him.
He pocketed NZ$1.43 million for winning the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, his second title this year after a wire-to-wire victory at the Ras Al Khaimah Classic in the United Arab Emirates in February.
Fox had started the final day at the Old Course four shots behind leader Richard Mansell of England. But the New Zealander shot a sublime 68 to win on 15-under for the tournament. Mansell, meanwhile, struggled to a closing 76 to tie for seventh place.
The win saw Fox soar to third on the European tour rankings behind Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy and England’s Matt Fitzpatrick, giving him the chance to challenge for the prestigious Harry Vardon Trophy awarded to the winner of the Race to Dubai.
“I guess after the good run I had in the middle of the year, that was always the goal, to give myself a chance going into Dubai,” Fox said.
“It’s pretty cool to have that. Obviously a couple of pretty good players on that rankings list, so I’ll have to do something even more special to get ahead of those guys but just to be in the mix is pretty good.”
