Mānuka Phuel Chasing the Fox delivered a thrilling night of sport, entertainment, and generosity on Friday 12 December at Royal Auckland and Grange Golf Club, with New Zealand’s top golfers and a stacked field of challengers coming together to raise life-changing support for charities across New Zealand.

Ryan Fox and Daniel Hillier proved too strong for their competitors on the course, but the real winners were the charities. Event partner Mānuka Phuel and Matt Pringle of Mānuka Doctor donated a total of $300,000, including $15,000 to each of the other charities represented by competing teams, and a transformative $150,000 to Starship Foundation, ensuring the evening had a lasting impact off the green.

Big Buddy charity received a $30,000 donation, after the event’s $15,000 prize for the winning team was awarded to Fox, who then matched the amount himself to double the donation.

“I love that this event is about more than just golf,” says Fox. “Big Buddy does incredible work, and seeing the wider impact for all of the charities through Matt and Mānuka Phuel’s incredible $300,000 donation is something I’m really proud to be a part of.”

Adding to the charitable impact on the night, Kiwibank’s ‘Birdies for Bucks’ challenge brought extra excitement to hole five. For every birdie made, Kiwibank donated to charity, and when birdies proved elusive, players were challenged to dig into their own pockets, delivering plenty of hype and good-natured humour. The initiative raised more than $90,000 for charity, further amplifying the event’s impact beyond the leaderboard.

Blending high-performance golf with live music, culture and a festival atmosphere, the final party hole once again delivered unforgettable scenes. The event was capped off by a live DJ set from international star CYRIL who jumped straight up on stage after playing golf with Sir John Keys and Max Keys. Local favourites Tim Phin, Dick Johnson, Dan Aux, Karn Hall and Grant Marshall also performed DJ sets, continuing the party atmosphere into the night.

Kiwis tuned in for nationwide coverage on TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+. Australian fans caught the action on Fox Sports Australia - available on Kayo Sports and Foxtel, and global fans tuned in to DANZ.com.

With elite athletes, media personalities and sporting legends all taking part, Chasing the Fox once again proved that competition, community and generosity can go hand in hand, delivering unforgettable moments for fans and life-changing support for charities across New Zealand.