Ryggs Johnston arrived within the Sand Belt area with no expectations.
In spite of everything, he’s at present the 953rd-ranked participant on the planet and 6 months faraway from graduating at Arizona State. However he can play. Johnston completed eighth in DP World Tour Q-College earlier this month, thus incomes standing on the circuit previously generally known as the European Tour in 2025.
In his first DP World Tour begin final week, on the BMW Australian PGA Championship, he tied for forty third—not a foul end result for somebody’s first begin. However no one might have figured that Johnston would contend this week on the Australian Open, in simply the second DP World Tour begin of his profession. Even Johnston didn’t imagine a lot in himself, particularly for the reason that climate in Melbourne prevented the 24-year-old American from enjoying a apply spherical at Kingston Heath. He went into this event fully blind.
But, Johnston went on to win the Australian Open by three pictures over Aussie Curtis Luck, a exceptional accomplishment for the younger American. He posted a pair of 4-under 68s over the weekend to sit down atop the leaderboard at 18-under general.
“It feels nice, simply figuring out that [I get] extra enjoying alternatives and [I get] into greater occasions,” Johnston mentioned.
“It hasn’t fairly sunk in but, but it surely’s a tremendous feeling.”
Johnston turns into the eleventh American to win the Stonehaven Cup, the well-known trophy awarded to the winner of the Australian Open. And it’s a trophy that has dozens of family names etched into it. Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Jordan Spieth—these gamers not solely gained a number of majors but additionally triumphed within the Australian Open. This event used to have an incredible pedigree, a lot in order that Nicklaus referred to as it the “fifth main” at one level.
“It’s simply actually cool to be in a gaggle with these guys,” Johnston added.
“I’m simply fairly honored to have the ability to put my title on it now, too, and I’ll cherish this second ceaselessly.”
Johnston has traversed the globe for the previous couple of weeks, which makes his win much more spectacular. He went from Q-College in Spain again to the USA for lower than a day after which to Australia for these two occasions.
“Actually, I used to be simply making an attempt to make use of the final event as type of a warm-up, after which hopefully, I performed higher on this one and type of did that,” Johnston famous.
“However so far as profitable, I most likely didn’t actually anticipate to come back out right here and win. I simply needed to come back out right here and play good golf and I simply occurred to place myself in good place at this time.”
Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Enjoying By means of. You should definitely take a look at @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You’ll be able to comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko as nicely.
