Ryan Ruffels

Exempt status

• Korn Ferry Tour: Finishers 4-5 on 2021 Forme Tour Order of Merit or 2020-21 PGA TOUR Latinoamerica Order of Merit / Finishers 76-100 in 2020-21 Regular Season Standings / Additional Qualifying Tournament Finishers (thru 2022)

JOINED TOUR

• PGA TOUR Latinoamérica: 2017
• Korn Ferry Tour: 2020

PLAYOFF RECORD

PGA TOUR LATINOAMÉRICA (0-1)

• 2019 Lost to Andrés Echavarría, Molino Cañuelas Championship

Personal

• His parents, Ray Ruffels and Anna Maria Fernandez, were professional tennis players. His father won 16 doubles titles throughout his career and reached the Australian Open singles semifinals three times. With Billie Jean King as his partner, he reached the mixed-doubles finals at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 1978. His mother won five WTA doubles titles.
• Sister, Gabriela, won the 2019 U.S. Women's Amateur.
• Earliest golf memory is Mark O'Meara giving him his first club.
• Speaks fluent Spanish and has dual citizenship between Australia and the United States.
• Formula 1 addict off the golf course.

Special Interests

• Skiing, working out, Australian Rules Football

Career Highlights

2020 Season

• Pinnacle Bank Championship presented by Aetna: Held a share of the 18- and 54-hole lead at the Pinnacle Bank Championship presented by Aetna before finishing the week T2 at 10-under 274, one shot back of winner Seth Reeves. Bogeyed two of his last three holes in the final round.

2019 Season

Saw action in 15 tournamnets, making 12 starts and recording five top-10s. Was never outside the top 10 on the Order of Merit for the entire year, starting at No. 2 following his runner-up finish at the season-opening event and ending the year seventh.

• Shell Championship: A 69-68-70 start at Trump National Doral’s Golden Palm Course led to a T7 with Seth Fair and Rowin Caron outside Miami in early December.
• 114 VISA Open de Argentina presentado por Macro: Continued his solid play with another top-10, this time at the historic Jockey Club. Had four par-or-better rounds, including a final-round 66 that moved him into a T4 with Tommy Cocha and Jonathan Garrick, four shots out of the Ricardo Celia-Brandon Matthews playoff that Celia won.
• 1932byBateman Open: Finished inside the top five for the fourth time of 2019, counting his time on both PGA TOUR Latinoamerica and the Mackenzie Tour. Finished T3 with Ian Holt and Will Gordon, at 13-under, par, playing all four rounds under par at Edmonton CC.
• Windsor Championship: Made only four bogeys over the course of 72 holes, shooting a second-round 63, including six birdies and an eagle, on his way to a runner-up finish at Ambassador GC in his first career Mackenzie Tour start.
• Bupa Match Play: Suffered a major upset at Playa Paraiso GC, losing in the first round as the No. 5 seed to 60th seed Edward Figueroa, 5 and 4.
• BMW Jamaica Classic: Enjoyed four rounds in the 60s at Cinnamon Hill GC—including opening and closing 67s—to T6 with Camilo Aguado in mid-May.
• Molino Cañuelas Championship: Finished runner-up for a second consecutive week, this time losing in a two-hole, sudden-death playoff to Colombia’s Andres Echavarria. Turned in four under-par rounds at Canuelas GC, including a pair of 67s on the weekend. In the overtime session, both players made par on the first extra hole. Couldn’t match Echavarria’s birdie putt on No. 18—the second extra hole—to finish solo second.
• Buenaventura Classic: Opened with a 66 to take a share of the 18-hole lead at Buenaventura GC. Stumbled badly in the second round, falling to a 3-over 75 then recovered with scores of 68-71 over his final 36 holes to T2 with Mitchell Meissner and Mito Pereira.

2017 Season

Made nine cuts in 11 PGA TOUR Latinoamerica starts, with two runner-up finishes to his credit, to end the year 15th on the Order of Merit. Added seven additional PGA TOUR starts, making three cuts. Teamed with Jason Day at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans to T29, his best finish.

2016 Season

In six PGA TOUR Latinoamerica tournaments, made five cuts and had four top-10s. In limited action, finished 22nd on the Order of Merit. Received invitations to play in seven PGA TOUR tournaments, making the cut in four, a T20 at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans his top showing. Turned professional in January at the age of 17. With $134,802 in TOUR prize money, he came just short of earning enough points to qualify for the Korn Ferry Tour Finals. Turned professional in January at the age of 17.

• Shell Championship: Posted a T3 at the season-ending event in December for his fourth and final top-10 of the year. Tied with Vince India, a distant 12 shots behind winner Nate Lashley, who won by 10 strokes.
• 111 VISA Open de Argentina presentado por OSDE: Finished T7 in Argentina in November. Opened poorly, with a 3-over 74 but then rattled off rounds of 70-66-68 over his final 54 holes to record his third top-10 of the campaign.
• Colombia Classic: Picked up a T4 at Cali CC in late-October. A third-round 73 kept him from putting more pressure on winner Andrés Echavarría. Recorded rounds of 68-70-68 in his other three rounds to tie with Jesús Amaya and Matias Simaski, three shots shy of Echavarria's winning tally.
• Copa Diners Club International: Made his PGA TOUR Latinoamérica debut, in Ecuador, where he carded a tournament-low, 7-under 64 in the final round to finish in a two-way T2 in September, two shots behind winner Nate Lashley.
• Farmers Insurance Open: Made his pro debut with a T43 finish at the PGA TOUR's Farmers Insurance Open.

2015 Season

Saw action in four PGA Tour of Australasia tournaments, with two made cuts and one top-10 outing. Also played one Asian Tour and one European Tour tournament.

• Oates Victorian Open: Put together rounds of 70-68-66-70 to T3 in Victoria playing on the PGA Tour of Australasia. Finished tied with two others, two shots out of the Richard Green-Nick Cullen playoff that Green won.

2014 Season

Made three PGA Tour of Australasia starts, playing on the weekend in two and finishing inside the top 30 in both.

2013 Season

Made two cuts and missed two cuts on PGA Tour of Australasia.

Amateur Highlights

• Won the boys' 15-17 division title at the 2014 World Junior Championships at Torrey Pines GC in San Diego, Calif.
• Was the 2014 Australian Boys' Amateur champion.
• Represented Australia at the 2014 World Amateur Team Championship in Japan, with teammates Lucas Herbert and Geoff Drakeford.

Q SCHOOL GRADUATE

• Korn Ferry Tour: 2019