Ryggs Johnston didn’t precisely have the most effective preparation for this week’s ISPS Handa Australian Open.
Already exhausted from three phases of DP World Tour Q-College and final week’s season-opening Australian PGA, Johnston wasn’t afforded a apply spherical on Kingston Heath, website of the Aussie’s nationwide open and solely Johnston’s second profession begin as a DPWT member, due to inclement climate.
“I actually didn’t have any expectations,” Johnston stated, “which in all probability helped me in the long run.”
Johnston, a 24-year-old rookie out of Arizona State by the use of Libby, Montana, fired a 3rd consecutive 4-under 68 on Sunday in Melbourne to beat Curtis Luck by three pictures. He eagled his first gap from the perimeter and birdie the par-4 third to race forward of fellow 54-hole co-leader Lucas Herbert and Curtis Luck, who went out in 3-under 33. Johnston additionally bogeyed thrice on the entrance facet, and Luck birdied the par-4 tenth to tie Johnston and Herbert for the lead, however each Luck (two bogeys to cap a closing 68) and Herbert (3-over, birdie-less again 9) faltered late.
Johnston birdied thrice on the inward 9, together with from lengthy vary (30 ft) on the par-3 fifteenth, and didn’t drop a shot to complete at 18 beneath and turn into simply the eleventh American-born participant to seize the Aussie Open, becoming a member of an inventory that features Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Tom Watson.
Johnston can also be the primary winner – of any skilled match for that matter – from Libby, a city of lower than 3,000 folks that sits in Lincoln County, the northwestern-most county in Montana.
“I’ve received lots of messages from mates again saying the entire city is watching,” Johnston stated. “It’s simply actually cool to have that sort of assist, simply sort of the factor that you just don’t see a lot apart from from small cities.”
Libby has been cheering Johnston on for years. As a sophomore, Johnston, who is called after Mel Gibson’s character in “Deadly Weapon,” completed third on the 2021 NCAA Championship, the place he fired a second-round 63 in entrance of Arizona State alum Chez Reavie, who was out following Johnston at Grayhawk that day. Nonetheless, the following two seasons noticed Johnston battle. He was out and in of the lineup his third yr, lacking the Solar Devils’ postseason lineup, and after a sizzling begin to his fourth season, he adopted these back-to-back fall top-5s with no different top-10s and simply two top-15s the remainder of the best way. However simply earlier than ending one other disappointing summer season, Johnston made match play on the 2023 U.S. Newbie, successful a match, and skilled a resurgent fifth yr at Arizona State, the place he posted seven top-15s, together with 4 straight top-10s to finish his school profession.
Upon turning professional final summer season, Johnston performed each occasion on the PGA Tour Americas’ Canadian swing, although he mustered just one top-10 end. That’s when Johnston’s school coach, Matt Thurmond, urged his former participant to go play Q-College in Spain. Johnston obliged, rolling by way of all three phases, together with the six-round last stage in Tarragona, Spain, the place Johnston fired a pair of 65s and tied for seventh. Johnston then tied for forty third in his DPWT debut.
Now, only one occasion later, he’s a DPWT winner, into subsequent yr’s Open Championship and as much as No. 316 within the Official World Golf Rating, a climb of over 600 spots.
The expectations simply received so much better.
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