Ryan Ruffels’ breakthrough win as a professional looks closer than ever after he recorded his third runner-up finish of the year in his maiden appearance on the Mackenzie Tour in Canada.

Injury free after a frustrating 2018 campaign, Ruffels opened his year on the PGA TOUR-Latino America tour with consecutive runner-up finishes but a break in the schedule saw him seek a start in Canada at the Windsor Championship.

Using a second round 8-under 63 to put himself in tournament contention, Ruffels began the final round just inside the top 10 before making a Sunday surge.

He burst out of the blocks with three straight birdies to make an early impression on the leaders and an eagle 3 at the par-5 seventh allowed him to make the turn at 4-under. There was a slight stumble with a bogey at the 10th hole but he recovered with birdies at 12 and 13 to again put the top of the leaderboard in reach.

There was a chance to tie American Dawson Armstrong with a birdie putt on the 72nd hole but the six-footer just missed on the left edge, Ruffels collapsing as another opportunity slipped away.

The 21-year-old is now 20th on the Mackenzie Tour Order of Merit and fifth on the Latino America tour and with the top five players from both tours at the end of the year earning status on the Korn Ferry Tour for 2020 he will have a decision to make as to which tour he plays for the remainder of the year.