Tommy Smith: veteran All Whites defender on watching Ryan Fox win the Canadian Open

Ryan Fox celebrated a victorious run at the Canadian Open - with some fellow Kiwi sporting figures showing up to cheer him on.

The New Zealand golfer won the title in front of a group of the country's top men's footballers, who are in Toronto between games in an international friendly tournament.

Veteran All Whites defender Tommy Smith was there - and he joined Piney to discuss.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildergrave
from News Talk zed B.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Among those watching you might have seen this on TV
the final round were members of the All Whites. Now
they're currently in Canada for international matches in the latest
FIFA window. They beat Ivory Coast won nil yesterday and
play Ukraine on Wednesday morning. But on a day off.
Chris Wood, the captain, along with Alex Rufer, Ben Wayne,

(00:35):
ben Old, Matt Garbett, Tyler Binden, Eli just Callen Elliott
and Tommy Smith were all there to watch Ryan Fox
win at TPC Toronto this morning our time. Tommy Smith's
on the line from Canada. How was that experience, Tommy?
Watching Ryan Fox win the Canadian Open.

Speaker 3 (00:54):
We obviously knew he was in a good spot heading
into today, so we just followed him round for the
majority of his round this afternoon. And obviously the culminators
in the win, which was excellent by the the stunt
out moment for us was that Birdie part of eighteen
to put him into the playoffs. That was an amazing feeling.
And yeah, just where we got to watch it from

(01:15):
was amazing, and yeah, just a great day all round.

Speaker 2 (01:18):
Yeah, looked amazing from what we could see on TV
from where you were. Were you on the eighteenth Green
at the end for that boody pat you just talked about,
and then the playoff holes after that, we.

Speaker 3 (01:29):
Had a contact Mark Williams, who works for the PGA.
He's a key wee guy who kindly gots access to
that media set. It was the CBS sort of media
overlook of the Eighteenth Green, which was obviously a fantastic
view of everything, and we had the TV screen in
there as well for the shots that we couldn't quite see.
So again, an amazing experience and something that we'll all

(01:50):
cherish for a long long time.

Speaker 2 (01:52):
Yeah's so good. So the boody pat you mentioned got
Ryan a share of the lead obviously feed them into
a playoff and normally these things maybe take one or
two holes, fourloff holes out of the nerves during those
four playoff holes for you the boys.

Speaker 3 (02:08):
Oh, I know all we kept saying that we were
more nervous watching him play those playoff holes than we
are when we play football, so I can't imagine what
he was feeling. And then not obviously that three would
hit on the whole that he won at the end
as a sensational shot. And we're all avid golfers and
will we can only have a dream of being shots
like that, So to see that live and obviously for

(02:30):
it to culminated and winning the tournament was sensational.

Speaker 2 (02:32):
And I've seen some photos you obviously had the chance
to catch up with Ryan afterwards, obviously had a few
words whether that must have been a pretty special moment
for you all as well?

Speaker 3 (02:42):
Yeah, absolutely, you know, he's a real top guy as well,
and he took the time out of his day. Obviously
it would have been absolutely buzzing. And his family were
their way for him, his wife and two kids, So
for him to take the time out of his day
to come and have a picture and a catch.

Speaker 2 (02:56):
Up with us was really kind of Yeah, very very cool.
And you mentioned that you're all keen golfers, evid golfers.
Who would win a round of golf between the all
whites players and I've been old obviously famously was almost
a child prodigy of golf. Would he be favorite or
who else is in this conversation?

Speaker 3 (03:14):
Unlet's obviously golf's again you can use your handicap in
so I'm not bad, but yeah, your favorites would probably
be in this squad that's assembled here and soon old
he would definitely be the whole favorite, I would imagine.

Speaker 2 (03:25):
All Right, hey, thanks for joining us on Sports Talk. Tommy,
really appreciate it, and great to see you and a
bunch of others from the All Whites supporting Ryan Fox
today in Toronto. That's Tommy Smith. It was great that
the TV coverage picked up on that. Obviously they were
in the CBS tent, so there would have been that
knowledge pass to the camera people. And yeah, just to
watch them cheering them on like that. There's something special

(03:47):
about about seeing, you know, elite athletes from another code
cheering on you know, somebody from a completely different sports.
That's why the Olympics are so good. When you see,
you know, our Olympians they compete in their event and
then they go and support their fellow Kiwis at a
completely different event. When you see Kiwi's supporting Kiwi's overseas,

(04:11):
there's something a bit special about that. Yeah, they are whites. Well,
they had their own success with a one nil went
over Ivory Coast yesterday morning off to play Ukraine. Whennesday
off to I think it's the same venue in Canada
on Wednesday morning at around nine o'clock.

Speaker 1 (04:25):
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