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Victorian young gun Ryan Ruffels has taken full advantage of his PGA Tour debut with an opening round of 66 at the RBC Canadian Open.
Ruffels played alongside American Andrew Loupe (3-under) and current club house leader, Argentinian Emiliano Grillo (8-under).
The performance of amateurs at The Open the week prior gave Ruffels some inspiration heading into his first ever PGA tournament.
“Saw the amateurs at The Open, Paul Dunne leading after 3 rounds and then 3 finishing in the top 15 and that kind of gave me the confidence that I can come out here and match it with the pros.
“My coach [Denis McDade] was out here Monday & Tuesday and we worked on a few things. The game felt really good coming in and I really liked the course and it all kind of just clicked today" he said.
Ruffels' 6-under included an eagle on the par-5 2nd and a bogey-free back nine.
Earlier this week Ruffels tweeted after playing a practise round with Korean KJ Choi:
“The most valuable round I’ve ever had. What he taught me out of the bunkers is mind blowing”.
He also had the opportunity to meet fellow Australian touring professional Jason Day.
“All these kind of things you don’t get in an amateur tournament… I’m getting to meet my idols and play against them.”
Ruffels tees up in the final group of the day in the 2nd round of the RBC Canadian Open.
You can follow the tournament on the PGA Website.