Ruffels’ open pro debut

Teenager coming back to course he loves

VICTORIAN rising star Ryan Ruffels will make his Australian professional debut in next Thursday’s Oates Vic Open at Thirteenth Beach.

The 19-year-old, who turned pro two years ago, peaked at 13th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings in January 2016 before he made the rise in ranks.

But it won’t be Ruffels’s first time to Barwon Heads, having played in his home state Open as an amateur in 2015.

That year he finished tied for third with fellow Victorian young gun Ben Eccles, just two strokes out of a playoff.

“It’s a course and a tournament that I’ve played well at. I remember as an amateur in 2015 I had a good event that week and got myself in contention,” Ruffels said.

“I love Thirteenth Beach, both courses. I had a bunch of time off and was going to come home anyway and I was on the Inside The Ropes podcast and Clayts (Mike Clayton) asked ‘Are you going to come back for the Vic Open?’.

“Golf Victoria was great in being able to get me into the tournament, so it worked out absolutely perfectly.”

Ruffels said a win at Thirteenth Beach would lure him to play more tournaments in Australia.

“It’d be amazing to win back home, it would be my first professional win which would be an honour to have in Australia,” he said.

“It’d set up great to have the option of coming home to play any of these events over here.

“Hopefully the schedule pans out and I can play the ones at the end of the year as well. I’ll always have a place in Australia, it’s home. I went to school here, all my mates are here so it’s always going to be home.”