ANACONDA — Only a very small handful of Montana-born golfers have gone on to play at the professional level.
Leslie Spalding, Alice Ritzman, Val Skiner and Bob Betley are among those who competed in major PGA and LPGA tournaments, but their careers had concluded before Ryggs Johnston was born.
So as a kid, he didn't have a whole lot of current role models to look as he began dreaming of playing professionally.
"It's something that I didn't have much growing up ... someone to kind of help me through junior golf," said Johnston. "I kind of felt like I was on my own."
Hear from Ryggs Johnston here:
That feeling helped him find plenty of self motivation as the Libby native went on to win four straight Class A state titles and the 2018 men's State Am crown before going on to play for Arizona State for five years, helping the Sun Devils claim the 2024 Pac-12 title.
That résumé helped him turn pro last year as he competed in the PGA Tour Americas before earning his European Tour card. He then won the ISPS HANDA Australian Open last November, earning him a spot in the upcoming 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.
A pretty remarkable ascension for the 25-year-old.
"It's just the value of sticking to it and working hard," said Johnston. "You don't need anything fancy growing up to get good. Just be humble and work hard and you can do anything."
Now established as one of the best golfers to ever emerge from the Treasure State and set to compete in one of professional golfs most prestigious tournaments, Johnston is now the inspiring figure he didn't have as a kid, and he was out at Old Works this week mentoring dozens of young golfers, most of whom were gearing up for the State Junior Championship.
"I wanna be someone that these kids can look up to and ask questions and follow and do better things than I'm doing," he said.
He's got three tournament ahead of him before The Open, and he's fully aware of how meaningful it is to be part of the field as someone from a state where golf courses spend months blanketed in snow.
"I'm sure it'll be amazing when I get on the property, it's just really exciting to be from Montana and playing in Northern Ireland at the British Open."
