WATCH: TaylorMade Qi10 driver helps World Number 954 stun rivals at Australian Open
With some of Australia’s and the DP World Tour’s best players littering the entry list for the Australian Open, few would have been able to pick a winner at the start of the weekend.
But nobody would have selected rookie and eventual champion Ryggs Johnston to take the crown.
Johnston, from the USA, set the Kingston Heath Golf Club in Melbourne alight with a score of 18-under to take victory by three shots over the five Australians behind him.
Ranked 954 in the World Rankings coming into the week, and with the likes of Cameron Smith, Joaquin Niemann, Sergio Garcia and last week’s Australian PGA Championship Winner, Elvis Smylie, in opposition, the American wasn’t on anyone’s radar.
But Johnston showed his composure with a classy final round of 68 to get his hands on the trophy.
The unlikely victory was, remarkably, Johnston’s first win in a full event of any kind since high school and was achieved with his girlfriend right by his side as his caddie for the event.
Johnston’s pride was evident following his unlikely victory, with the young American stating: “I’m honoured to be able to put my name on the trophy, and I’ll cherish it for the rest of my life.
“It was really cool to be out with that group of guys,” he added.
The 24-year-old’s accuracy off the tee was a key component in his success, with his drives finding the fairways with immense regularity.
With a TaylorMade Qi10 Driver in his golf bag, it’s no wonder his long-hitting brought him success, with the likes of World Number One Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy using the same club.
The club possesses an Infinity Carbon Crown that covers 97% of the crown area, which lends that extra bit of forgiveness often needed when shooting low.
With a lighter club face than its formers, the club has a much-improved energy transfer, meaning Johnston was able to gain vital extra distance when it mattered.
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