The golf world is full of up-and-rising stars, and well, not everyone makes it to the headlines very soon. But that is not the case with the 20-year-old professional golfer Ryggs Johnston. Golf came to him very early in his childhood. He made his first swing when he was 2 YO with a plastic club, and ever since, there has been no going back. Thank God that he followed his heart, and well, look where he is now. 

Ryggs Johnston was born on May 21, 2000, in Libby, Montana. His father Doug Johnston is a former college athlete and has been actively involved in his life as a coach and a mentor. He makes sure to instill the strong work ethic that he has in his son. While in several of his interviews, he has mentioned both his parents as his strongest pillars, not much is known about his mother. But she has been a guiding light for his career. Tiger Woods is his golfing hero.

Ryggs Johnston’s support system extends beyond his family. He started dating Hannah Rosanova, an MSU alumni, back in 2022. The couple enjoys traveling to places together, be it her traveling with him to his matches or going to the games and concerts in Chicago. They make sure that they have an adventure together in every step of their lives.

The 24-year-old went to Arizona State University and had excellent exposure to golf there as well. He graduated with a management degree and a certificate in sports business in May 2023. He also received the PAC-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award in 2022-23. Well, that was not all for his college accomplishments. Ryggs Johnston capped off his collegiate career with an impressive four straight top-10 finishes, earning third-team All-America honors in 2024 and helping lead the Arizona State Sun Devils to the Pac-12 title. 

This marked the pinnacle of his five years at ASU, where he had already earned third-team All-America recognition in 2021, highlighted by a strong third-place finish at the NCAA Championships. The Montana native accumulated 14 career top-10 finishes and was named first-team All-Pac-12 twice, in 2024 and 2021, with a second-team honor in 2022. Well, it was not long before he made his debut as a professional golfer because success was not that far anymore for him.

Ryggs Johnston’s journey into professional golf

Ryggs Johnston turned professional in 2024 after completing his collegiate career at Arizona State University and made his first professional debut on the PGA Tour Americas in June 2024. He earned his way to the league through PGA Tour University. But that did not turn out to be very fruitful for him. He had hopes of finishing in the top 10, which would earn him a Korn Ferry Tour card, but a T5 ranked him in the 59th position. 

But as it turns out, the universe did have something else planned for him. Earlier in November, he finally bagged his full-time card, and well, it was not on the Korn Ferry Tour but on the DP World Tour for the upcoming season. All thanks to the exceptional 21-under finish at the final stage of the Q-school.

Ryggs Johnston made his DP World Tour debut at the 2024 BMW Australian PGA Championship, where he finished tied for 43rd. His second tournament, the Australian Open, proved even more successful, as he was tied for the lead heading into the final round. He has already made it to the headlines by entering the 2024 ISPS Handa Australian Open’s final round with a solo lead. 

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