After earning a spot in the field for the Myrtle Beach Classic following his win at The Q, a qualifying event made up of other influencers, Ryan Ruffels now finds himself in contention for another title – and it would surely trump anything he’s done on YouTube.
That a social media influencer can earn a place in a professional event won’t sit well with everyone, but the 28-year-old looks determined to make the most of the opportunity.
And it’s actually Ruffels’ 121st start in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event, so he obviously has a fair bit of talent.
“There was way more people out there today. People supported me and people yelling Ruff and all that sort of stuff,” he said after a second-round 70.
“Really cool to be a part of this. Really cool to make the weekend. Yeah, I guess I can have a free swing at it this weekend.”
The Australian was the last man standing after a 36-hole qualifier that began with match play contests at Rivers Edge Golf Club.
The 16-man field was then whittled down to four with Ruffels rising to the top during a dramatic showdown at Pawleys Plantation Golf & Country Club.
Should the Australian win, he will earn a two-year exemption (through the end of 2028), which could give him a bit of a headache as to whether to continue his YouTubing, although with over 70,000 subscribers, he’s doing pretty well on and off the course.
Ruffels has 20 career PGA Tour starts to his name, the most recent coming at the 2022 Shriners Children’s Open.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
After struggling with the high financial costs of competing on tour and losing his status, he turned to YouTube to help fund his playing ambitions.
“It’s a weird position that I’m in where I feel like I’ve got ‘YouTube Golf’ on my back or something like that, proving that we’re good players and we can play good golf,” he said.
“Grant [Horvat] nearly beat me to get here, and here I am in a good position after two days.
“There’s a lot of good players in YouTube Golf. A feel a lot of the fans that watch us are really in my corner and want me to do well, which is awesome to see.
“Overall, though, I’m just proud of myself that I played two good rounds on the PGA Tour. I get two more cracks…
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