But the one-time golfing wunderkind he really, really wants to compete against the best, and now he’s back with a mission to ensure it’s not a one-off.

Ruffels, who turned pro as a 17-year-old a decade ago, is making his return to the top-flight at next week’s $5.6m Myrtle Beach Classic in South Carolina, having won his way back via a newly created pathway, a mini-tournament featuring eight YouTube golf creators who competed for the coveted slot in the “Q at Myrtle Beach”, a made-for-the-internet special event now running online.  

It marks a significant moment for the golf creator world which is growing in eyeballs to such an extent that Ruffels, who with former World No.1 and fellow Aussie Jason Day is part of “The Lads” crew which draws viewers in the hundreds of thousands for their highly competitive, and funny, videos, is making enough money to not only survive in the increasingly cut-throat golfing world, but thrive.

Injuries, form, things just not happening as he’d like, all have played a part in the golfing journey of Ruffels, now 27, without an official world golf ranking and a long way removed from the fresh-faced teen who stood before a press pack at Victoria Golf Club in 2016 and told the world he was ready to go pro.

He has played 20 PGA Tour events across the decade, but also spent time on secondary tours, including the PGA Tour Latinoamérica and hasn’t played an event for world ranking points since 2023.

 


 

But throughout that more recent time, Ruffels diversified, developing not only his craft as a YouTuber but also making all the right connections to get the dollars flowing in and stay in touch with golf’s top echelon.  

Ruffels revealed to Golf Australia magazine, ahead of his return to the PGA Tour, that while digital golf creation had become big business for him, a passion and incredibly time-consuming, he crucially saw it as a vehicle to keep his game fine-tuned because he believed he still belonged in the top-flight.

Conveniently, however, he’s removed the pressure that often comes with golfers a tier or two down trying to survive, not having to rely on tournaments to put money in the bank, leaving him able to focus on getting his game on point, because he knows every shot he hits is being watched by thousands. 

“I think now, having played in tournaments, played in Q schools, all that sort of stuff, it makes it much easier for me because I know that I'm making X off the course and I can always go back to it and it's fun,” he said.

“And I also like how it keeps your game sharp in a lot of ways because every time I'm playing golf, maybe five hundred thousand people are watching me play golf. So, I do genuinely want to play really well because I'll be exposed to a bigger audience than most PGA Tour events in a lot of cases.”

Those audiences have drawn sponsors, which Ruffels said have locked on to the huge viewership numbers, which are easier to measure in many cases than TV or even in-person eyeballs at events. 

“So, I mean, the way golf is, there are always opportunities. Things change very quickly based on some good play. So, yeah, we'll see. We'll see where the opportunities kind of lie, and how I take advantage of them.”  - Ryan Ruffels.

He made the point that, on a PGA Tour broadcast, for example, any player outside the leaders was unlikely to be shown on TV, even the likes of his digital collaborator, Jason Day, providing little return for sponsors.

But controlling the content on their YouTube channel puts them in the frame for a solid hour or more.

“My sponsorships now are way more lucrative than they ever were as a professional golfer,” Ruffels said.

“And that's pretty valuable to a sponsor to have that many concentrated eyeballs on a logo. So, it's very interesting. The. Yeah, kind of the return on time when it comes to YouTube is much higher than I would say ninety eight percent of the PGA Tour, probably minus your (Scottie) Schefflers, your (Rory) McIlroys, that sort of thing.

“Yeah, the return on kind of sponsorship is massive.”

But while business is booming, playing as well as he can when given chances like this is crucial to Ruffels.

He’s also booked a slot in the new Good Good Championship, an event added to the PGA Tour schedule in November, and is eyeing the ongoing changes, which could open even more doors for those looking to elevate themselves.  

A proposed promotion-and-relegation system for players could lead to more consistent second-tier events, with greater prize money and more opportunities.  

It’s a changing landscape Ruffels wants to be a part of, despite his “other” golfing job going so well.

“I’ve got a couple of good opportunities there and hopefully will take advantage of them,” he said.

“Hopefully, there are more opportunities to play more this season or next season. And then obviously, Q-schools towards the end of the year, where I can play my own way in and things of that nature.

“So, I mean, the way golf is, there are always opportunities. Things change very quickly based on some good play. So, yeah, we'll see. We'll see where the opportunities kind of lie, and how I take advantage of them.”