The name Gabriela Ruffels is creating waves on the LPGA Tour. Her future as a professional golfer appears to be quite bright, and her talent is evident in her picture-perfect swing. She established herself as a formidable opponent with her impressive T3 in the DIO Implant LA Open this year and her record as the first Australian to win the US Women’s Amateur in 2019.

However, Gabriela Ruffels’s equally gifted elder brother Ryan is the hidden weapon of the family and one of the reasons behind her success story. In contrast to the well-traveled route of sibling rivalry, the Ruffels duo thrives on a special kind of encouragement. They support one another, encourage one another when they succeed, and have a profound love for the game that goes beyond winning or losing. So, let’s get to know more about the older Ruffles and what makes him tick.

The Ruffels’ early life

While there have been several successful pro-golf sister acts on the LPGA and Epson Tours in recent years, which include the Korda siblings, and Thai golfers Moriya Jutanugarn and Ariya Jutanugarn. When talking about a brother-sister duo on the golf greens, the Australian siblings Minjee Lee, an LPGA pro, and Min Woo Lee, who plays on the PGA Tour, and DP World Tours, come to mind. Gabriela Ruffels and her brother Ryan are joining that small club.

The Ruffels siblings’ athletic talents can be traced back to their parents—Maria Fernandez and Ray Ruffels were both professional tennis players. Tennis was the sport first introduced to Ryan, who was born in Orlando, Florida, on April 29, 1998. His sister, born two years later, was also pushed towards tennis at a younger age. However, they ultimately turned to golf, discovering that it was on the golf course, not the court, where their true athletic passions lay.

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In the early 2000s, their father, Ray Ruffels, accepted a significant position as the Head Coach at the Australian Institute of Sport, where he taught tennis. The family then relocated to Australia. Both Ruffels made a name for themselves as strong amateurs in Australia early on as juniors. At the tender age of fifteen, Ryan captured the 2014 Riversdale Cup. A month later, he also won the Australian Boys Amateur title. Before turning pro in January 2016, at the age of seventeen, he was ranked as high as thirteenth in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.

The brother-sister bond on the greens

As a highly ranked amateur herself, Gabriela Ruffels won the U.S. Women’s Amateur at the age of 19. She attended USC for her collegiate career in golf before going pro in 2021. In this, it is evident that the older brother paved the path for his sister to follow. Despite just being two years apart in age, 25-year-old Ryan Ruffels and 24-year-old Gabriela Ruffels have achieved remarkable success in the sport due to their strong competitive nature. As they grew older, they were always competing against one another on the course.

When asked about their game, The younger Ruffels stated, “There is definitely a competitive aspect between us, but you also want to see each other do well.” She also said that she’s learned a lot from her brother, saying, “we’ve been able to learn a lot from each other over the years practicing and playing together,” 

Since turning pro, Ryan Ruffels has switched between the DP World Tour and PGA Tour Latinoamerica, as well as earning sponsor exemptions on the PGA Tour as well. In an attempt to gain entry into the largest stages of golf, he presently competes on the Challenge Tour of the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour’s subsidiary, the Korn Ferry Tour. Even though Ryan Ruffels has yet to secure his first official victory, he has demonstrated his talent by finishing in the top five and even coming in second on these developmental circuits. Some highlights of his career include a runner-up finish at the 2016 Copa Diners Club International on PGA Tour Latinoamerica. He also has an apparel deal with Malbon Golf.

Ryan Ruffels’ personal life

Apart from playing golf professionally, Ryan Ruffels also runs a YouTube channel where he makes videos about golf and the culture around golfing, like vlogs about life as a golfer. He is also really popular on Instagram, with over 45k followers. Here too, he posts content similar to his YouTube videos, along with snippets of his personal life. He is also rumored to be dating Kenzie S Toro, a fellow golf enthusiast. He spends his time playing golf, and tennis or shooting videos for his social media. Whatever free time he gets, he spends with his friends and family.

Without question, Ryan Ruffels and Gabriela Ruffels are both gifted golfers with promising futures. They keep challenging one another and finding motivation in each other’s accomplishments. The golfing community will be closely observing to see if both of these siblings can fulfill their goals and establish unique careers in the professional game.