Ryggs Johnston, an unheralded American golfer, has made a remarkable breakthrough by winning the Australian Open in Melbourne. Ranked 954th in the world, Johnston managed to outshine a host of local favorites to claim the Stonehaven Cup with a composed final-round score of four-under-par 68 at Kingston Heath on Sunday.
Famous more for his name inspired by Mel Gibson’s Lethal Weapon character than his golfing achievements, Johnston finished three strokes ahead of former amateur sensation Curtis Luck, with an 18-under 269 total. Remarkably, this victory marked the 24-year-old's first win in a four-round tournament since his high school days. Nicknamed “The Big Slick,” Johnston began the final round tied with Lucas Herbert and maintained his lead as the Victorian favorite faltered.
Herbert, who repeatedly criticized the greens during his closing two-over round of 74, ended up in fifth place at 12 under, six shots behind Johnston. The 28-year-old missed out on a spot at next year’s British Open by just two shots. Instead, runner-up Luck and Herbert’s LIV Golf teammate Marc Leishman secured their places at Royal Portrush with top-three finishes. Leishman sealed his spot with a crucial five-foot birdie putt on the penultimate hole, finishing with a final-round 69 to tie for third at 14 under.
Jasper Stubbs also finished at 14 under, but the world No.1486 was edged out by Leishman, ranked 575th, on a countback, missing out on a trip to Northern Ireland. Unable to earn rankings points since joining the Saudi-backed rebel league, 2015 British Open runner-up Leishman has not competed in a major since 2022. Luck, who once held the top amateur ranking and lost his Korn Ferry Tour card this year, will return to the major scene for the first time since his 2017 Masters appearance, where he tied for 46th.
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