American Ryggs Johnston survived tough Sunday conditions to win the Australian Open

Named after Mel Gibson’s lunatic character in the Lethal Weapon movies, Ryggs Johnston wrote his own fairytale script with a win from nowhere in the national Open.

Ryggs Johnston arrived in Australia ranked 954th in the world five months into his professional career having never set foot on Kingston Heath, not even for a practice round.

But the 24-year-old will arrive home in Montana with an almighty rankings bump and nearly $300,000 richer after surviving everything the Melbourne sandbelt could throw at him, including squally rain,whipping Sunday winds and a raft of challengers to secure a three-shot win in the Australian Open.

Curtis Luck came from the clouds and, after briefly leading finished second ahead of Marc Leishman and rookie pro Jasper Stubbs in third, with Luck and Leishman securing a start in next year’s British Open courtesy of their top-three finish.

Johnston, who played his first professional event in June, and whose only previous link to Australia was being named after a movie character played by an Australian, joined names like Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus as the 11th American to win the 120-year-old event.

Ryggs Johnston of the United States walks off the 18th green after victory in the Australian Open . (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

Having spent Saturday night watching Gladiator, a good “fire-up movie”, Johnston finished at 18-under despite turning up “pretty tired” after a whirlwind few weeks and with no expectations, with his name now among some of the best to ever play.

“It was a little stressful, the weather was up and down. I knew I was right in it and had to battle,” he said.

“When I walked up to 17 tee I could see I had a three-shot lead and was able to settle and finish off.

“It feels pretty special.”

It was a win for Johnston’s resilience.

As challengers, and the rain, came and went, including former world No.1 amateur Luck, who held the outright lead after 12 holes, and LIV star Leishman who loomed large at a course he knows so well, it was the American who stood tall.

As his rivals floundered late Johnston nailed a crucial birdie putt on the famous par three 15th to break away from the pack.

Playing partner and overnight co-leader Lucas Herbert declared on Saturday that Johnston “probably didn’t care” as much the Bendigo boy did about winning his national open.

But as Herbert blew up with consecutive bogeys on holes 13 and 14, with matching emotional outbursts as the weight of what was slipping away, including a spot at next year’s British Open, hit home, Johnston found himself in front by two with three holes to play.

When he teed it up on 17, he was up by three, and cruising.

Lucas Herbert had a day to forget at Kingston Heath Picture: NewsWire / Blair Jackson

Luck, who lost his playing status in the US this season after battling a shoulder injury, bogeyed his final two holes, having flirted with winning, to finish in outright second.

The 28-year-old, who has struggled to reach heights expected after winning the 2016 US Amateur championship, an event won by the likes of Tiger Woods, three times, could console himself with securing a birth in the 2025 British Open.

That will also be the reward for Leishman, who last played a major championship in 2022, before his move to LIV, after he finished.

For Herbert, whoever, local knowledge proved little help as he made mistake after mistake, missing fairways and greens regular in his ugly two-over 74, which left him in touright fifth, and not back in the majors.

Curtis Luck of Australia, Ryggs Johnston of the United States and Marc Leishman are all headed to the British Open (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

While they didn’t get over the line, Australia’s last two winners of the Asia Pacific Amatuer Championship, Jasper Stubbs and Harrison Crowe, who both played the Masters before turning pro, finished tied for third and sixth respectively, evidence of how strong Australia’s production line of talent is.

For Ryggs, the victory was his first as a DP World Tour member, having already secured his full playing status through qualifying school, having played most of 2024 on the PGA Tour of Americas, the third rung circuit he was playing in 2024. 

He will also tee it up in the British open at Royal Port Rush, regardless of what happens to his career from here.

LEADERBOARD

18-under Ryggs Johnston

16-under Curtis Luck

14-under Jasper Stubbs, Marc Leishman

13-under Lucas Herbert