The final run-up to the U.S. Open was officially underway last weekend when the PGA Tour descended on the TPC Osprey Valley North Course for the RBC Canadian Open. Many players were hoping to get their final tune-up before traveling to Oakmont Country Club for the game’s third major of the calendar year.

Big names like Rory McIlroy weren’t able to stick around for the weekend, missing the cut, but it doesn’t mean the tournament lacked excitement. In fact, it was a multi-hole playoff which resulted in Ryan Fox claiming his first win of the season, and it was in dramatic fashion.

On the 5th, and final, playoff hole, Fox was able to reach the green on the Par 5 18th in two, setting up an easy birdie. His counterpart, Sam Burns, failed to match the birdie and Fox was victorious.

Growing up as the son of Grant Fox, one of the greatest rugby players New Zealand has ever produced, Ryan Fox learned an important lesson: hard work beats talents.

“If you work hard to be the best you can be, you can live with whatever happens,” the younger Fox said. “But if you don’t do the work, there will always be that little thing in your head, the what if; what if I had done this differently or done this better. That’s what Dad drilled into me as a kid.”

Fox moved into contention with a 64 on Saturday and entered the final round one stroke off the lead. But he ended up chasing, Burns, 28, who caught fire with birdies on the first five holes of the back nine and canned a 10-foot birdie at the last, raising his putter with his left hand and squeezing his fist tight as it dropped for 62 and a 72-hole total of 18-under 262.

As for the playoff, Fox admitted he got a stroke of luck, but sometimes luck is what you need to claim victory on the PGA Tour.

“I knew I got lucky there,” Fox said. “I probably shouldn’t have taken that shot on. It was sitting down a little bit, but I had a pretty good number with 3-wood to get there. I feel like in a playoff you’ve kind of got to take shots on.

“I had the exact shot I wanted to hit,” he said. “I wasn’t sure in the air if it was going to be a little short or perfect. I didn’t actually see it land. It was getting a bit hazy out there. Obviously by the crowd reaction I knew it was pretty good.”

With the win under his belt, Fox now tries to compound his quality performances by heading to the U.S. Open and being a contender for the first major victory of his career. It won’t be an easy task with the biggest names in golf, namely Scottie Scheffler, in the field, something which couldn’t be said for the field in Canada this past weekend.

Regardless of what happens at the U.S. Open, Fox will be able to remember and lean on his end of the round performance to come from behind and claim victory in dramatic fashion. No one can ever take that away from him.

Jeff Hartman is the host of the Fairways & Dreams podcast, and the latest episode can be heard in the podcast player below: