It goes without saying that the morning after becoming a major champion is a hectic one, and then having to deal with the unavoidable headaches at the airport only adds to the stress levels.SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER ADDRESSES GROWING RIVALRY BETWEEN RORY MCILROY, BRYSON DECHAMBEAU AFTER THE OPENTo set the scene on the Monday after Fox's stunning victory, the New Zealander jumped on a plane in Manchester bound for London before jetting back home from Heathrow Airport.Ryan Fox of New Zealand kisses the Claret Jug after winning the 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale in Southport.Picture date: Sunday July 19, 2026.
(Photo by David Davies/PA Images via Getty Images) (David Davies/PA Images via Getty Images)OUTKICK IS NOW ON THE FOX APP: CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOADAfter making it through security with the Claret Jug in a protective case, he arrived at his departure gate and realized that he would have to do some finagling to get the hardware onto the plane as a carry-on as opposed to gate-checking it.Ryan Fox of New Zealand with the Claret Jug speaks to the media during a press conference following victory during Day Four of the The 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale on July 19, 2026 in Southport, England.(Photo by Stuart Franklin/R&A/R&A via Getty Images) (Stuart Franklin/R&A/R&A via Getty Images)Handing over the oldest trophy in professional golf to a stranger and having them toss it underneath the plane isn't exactly an ideal situation, even for a very short flight from Manchester to the country's capital.
During an appearance on 'The Smylie Show,' Fox detailed the conversation he had with the gate agent to 'sneak' the Claret Jug onto the plane as an additional carry-on."I meekly got up to the check-in agent with these two boxes and go, 'So, yeah, I've got some special cargo here, is there any chance I can just take these on the plane?'" Fox recalled telling the gate agent."She goes, 'What's in it?' You know, I'm like, 'The Claret Jug, it's the olde...