By Kent Gray
With a rare third round cut announced, Ryan Fox set off early on Saturday morning of the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic with a simple game plan: go low and hopefully sneak into Sunday.

Things didn’t auger well when the Kiwi due-sweeper started bogey-bogey-par but the 35-year-old’s fortunes changed with a perfect swing of his 9 iron on the par-3 4th.

The ace from 175 yards was the 31st in the 33 year history of the DP World Tour event and the first since its elevation to $8 million Rolex Series status.

It eventually propelled Fox, the son of former All Blacks flyhalf Grant, to a 69, up to a share of 33rd place and comfortably into the final round. 

“That was as good a shot as I could have hit on four, it was nice to see it go in but to be honest I would have been just as excited if it had been a birdie putt, given the start I had just had,” said Fox.

“It was the perfect number for a nine iron for me, I tried to hit left and use the slope and I got the shot I wanted – quite surprising after the first three holes. There was a fair bit of luck but it was the shot I wanted to hit.” 

With more than 78 players (81 in total) making the 36-hole cut on Friday, an additional 54-hole cut to reduce the field to 72 players and ties was announced.

Starting at one-over in the third group out on Saturday alongside China’s Ashun Wu and Victor Perez of France, Fox didn’t make things easy for himself even after the ace. He dropped further shots on the 5th and 8th but roared home with birdies on the 9th 10th, 12th, 17th and 18th.

The hole-in-one sealed an eventful week for Fox, who led his fourball to victory in the pre-tournament Pro-Am on Tuesday.

For the record, the players who made the 36 hole cut but not the third round chop will be paid on their third round position but will not play the final round.