Holding off a group of home favourites desperate to win the Stonehaven Cup, American Ryggs Johnston scored the biggest win of his professional career at the 2024 ISPS HANDA Australian Open at Kingston Heath today.

The first American champion since Jordan Spieth claimed his second title in 2016 added his name alongside a list of illustrious countrymen that includes Tom Watson, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and Gene Sarazen.

Johnston (65-68-68-68) was a three-shot winner at 18-under, with West Australian Curtis Luck finishing as runner-up after a final round 4-under 68. His weekend tally of 11-under coming after a 71-68 start.

Luck held the lead late in his round, however after three weeks of consecutive golf, the man from Cottesloe admitted he was running out of steam, and bogeys at 17 and 18 ensued.

Victorians Marc Leishman and Jasper Stubbs shared third place at 14-under, after both, like Luck, looked to threaten at certain points on Sunday.

Johnston, Luck and Leishman claimed the three 2025 Open Championship spots and can start planning for Royal Portrush,, Stubbs missing out due to Leishman having a better world ranking.

Having not won a four-round event since his high school days, Johnston gained his DP World Tour status just weeks ago through Qualifying School, and has now solidified his position.

“Getting a win and hopefully getting into more tournaments and just knowing that I’ve secured pretty legit status now, it’s great,” the 24-year-old said.

Having a look at the Stonehaven Cup while the media spoke with women’s winner Jiyai Shin, Johnston was able to take in the plethora of who’s who in golf that is etched into the Stonehaven Cup.

“It’s just really cool to be in that group,” he said. “I’m just pretty honoured to be able to put my name on it now too and I’ll cherish this moment forever.”

Johnston made his intentions clear early, pouring in a putt from off the first green for eagle, and backing it up with a birdie the third.

A trio of bogeys and another birdie had the American turn in 1-under, and at that point as the leaderboard tightened, a healthy group still had chances.

It was the back nine where Johnston made the championship his own however, coming home in 3-under with the wind and the rain intensifying, and playing for the most significant result of his young career took serious grit.

“On 14, I kind of hit it right again and wasn’t in a great spot and I got myself out of trouble and made a nice 12-15 footer for birdie there,” said Johnston of the defining moment for him.

“Then made a longer one on 15 and that’s kind of when I was really like, all right, you can win this tournament.

“It was definitely a little stressful. The weather was kind of up and down. It was really nice for 15 minutes and really bad for 15 minutes.

“I knew I was right in it and then when I walked up to 17 green, I finally saw the leaderboard and saw I had a three-shot lead and then I could take a little bit of a breath.”

Runner-up Luck said: “The finish wasn’t ideal, but at the end of the day I was not really hitting balls three months ago, so I don’t think I can complain too much.

“I’ve been pretty rusty the four events I’ve played down here in Australia and I think that probably showed down the stretch and I was doing my best to clinging on, but it got the better of me.

“I think I make it pretty hard on myself quite often, so if I could clean up those areas, yeah, I still believe absolutely 100 percent that I could be right up there with the best.”

After being in the lead for most of the tournament, home favourite Lucas Herbert (74) wound up in six-way share of fifth at -12.  His challenge fell away with three bogeys and no birdies on the back nine, leaving the Ripper GC team member a frustrated man as he walked off 18.

Joining Herbert in the group six shots back were defending champion Joaquin Niemann (72), BMW Australian PGA winner Elvis Smylie (72) and fellow Aussie Harrison Crowe (71), Asia-Pacific Amateur champion Wenyi Ding (72) and a charging Kiradech Aphibarnrat (68).

Smylie made a mini run with three straight birdies on the front nine but couldn’t find his Royal Queensland magic over the closing nine.

However, the 22-year-old consolidated his lead at the top of the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia standings before he heads off to the Nedbank Challenge on the DP World Tour.

Meanwhile, after his runner-up finish at the PGA, Cam Smith ended his Summer of Golf by finishing equal 39th at 3-under.

A blemish free 8-under 63 early today at Victoria was good enough to secure a one-shot day one lead over Japanese amateur Rintaro Nakano and American Ryggs Johnston, who were both at Kingston Heath for round one.

There are four players tied fourth at 6-under, all of whom played at Victoria on day one. The 2022 Open champion Cameron Smith and last season’s Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit winner Kazuma Kobori are joined by Finland’s Oliver Lindell and American Jordan Gumberg, who had the low afternoon round.

Despite grabbing the lead, Herbert, a Victorian who played much of his teenage golf on the Sandbelt, still felt like he could have got more out of his day.

“I felt like there was a lot of shots left out there, I feel like that with every round of golf, to be fair,” Herbert said with a smile.

“I didn’t really think I holed that many putts, just hit it quite nicely. Got it into the right spots.

“Probably got a couple of lucky breaks here and there where shots that maybe weren’t the best didn’t get punished the way they could have.

“Look, if that’s the worst round of the week, I’d be pretty happy.”

Starting on Victoria’s 10th hole, in the shadow of the Peter Thomson statue, Herbert opened his account with three pars but was quickly able to take advantage of his length with birdies at 13, and the famous short par-4 15th.

Back-to-back birdies at the 17th and 18th, both par-5s, had the NSW Open champion turn in 4-under, keeping up with Smith ahead of him who was making birdies for fun around the turn.

Herbert kept the foot on the pedal on his second nine, making yet another birdie on the short first, before the scoring finally paused.

Not for long though, with a further birdie at six, before a stunning eagle at the par-5 ninth put an exclamation mark on a near-perfect opening day.

“Slightly pulled my tee shot there, just down the left. Kind of got a little lucky it didn’t bounce and get into that thicker stuff,” Herbert said of his finishing hole.

“To put it up there pretty close and then to roll it in for the eagle, just put a nice finish on the end of that round.”

Having held him off at Murray Downs two weeks ago, Herbert knows that Smith will be the one to watch out for in the chasing pack.

“He will be the guy to beat this week I’d imagine,” Herbert said. “He’s been in some great form, he’s obviously finished, I think third, second, second in the last three events.

“I’ll be shocked if he’s not pushing me pretty hard on the weekend or I’m pushing him pretty hard on the weekend to win the Stonehaven Cup.”

Smith is keen to get one back on his Ripper GC teammate after the NSW Open, but says it’s going to be no easy feat, and isn’t counting out another Victorian either.

“I know he (Herbert) is playing really good golf and there’s a ton of other guys as well,” said Smith

“Leish is playing really good. His caddie Matty was saying how good he’s hitting it, so it’s going to be a good weekend.”

Leishman started with a 3-under 68 at Victoria. Meanwhile American Harry Higgs is well in touch after a 5-under 66, with the PGA TOUR player happy to find the consistency that was lacking in Brisbane.

A surprise bolter on day one is the 21-year-old Japanese amateur Nakano, who won the 2023 Japanese Amateur Championship and has played one US PGA TOUR event.

He was at -8 before bogeying the par-4 final hole at Kingston Heath.

Last week’s BMW Australian PGA champion Elvis Smylie opened his Open account with a 1-under 70, after fighting back from being 3-over early.

And we’re away

Cam Smith’s second round is underway at the 2024 Queensland PGA Championship.

After a 5-under 67 in round one, Smith is still one shot back of leaders Phoenix Campbell, amateur Billy Dowling and Declan O’Donovan.

Solid start in front of huge crowds at Nudgee

Starting on Nudgee’s front nine today, Smith has begun his day with three solid pars and remains at 5-under for the championship.

Here we go on the fourth

Smith has piped his drive over the water on the fourth which sets him up to reach the par-5 in two.

With long way left in, Smith launched driver off the deck for his second, finding the reeds left of the green.

A masterful chip on gives him a 10-foot look at his first birdie of the day.

The birdie attempt just slides by and Smith taps in for par. No harm done through four holes.

Drama on the fifth

Smith’s tee shot has found the pond to the right of the fifth fairway and he has had to go back almost 40m to take a drop.

Coach and caddie for the week, Grant Field works hard to get a number for Smith who is now left with a 3-wood in from tight rough.

Smith’s 3-wood has gone long left of the green and he now lies three.

Chipping up from the back of the green, Smith left himself 12-feet for par which he missed, tapping in for bogey.

1-over on his day, Smith drops back to 4-under for the championship, now 3-shots back of the leaders.

More trouble on the sixth

Smith’s tee shot on the par-4 sixth found the left rough, and then his second lies left of the green in the light rough, requiring another up and down for par.

A clutch chip leaves Smith with a tap-in par, limiting the damage.

Crowds are out in force watching the Queenslander

Photo: Dylan Evans

Back in business on the seventh

After a monster drive on the par-4 seventh, Cam finds himself pin high off the green with just a pitch over the bunker left in.

Just clearing the bunker, Smith has left himself with 15-feet for birdie.

Another one just slides by on the left, Smith taps in for a stress-free par.

Almost an ace on the eighth

Smith’s tee shot on par 3 8th dances around the hole before coming to rest six feet away, one of his best looks at birdie so far today.

It’s in! Smith gives the crowd something to cheer about as he rolls in his birdie putt on eight to get back to even on his round.

Scrambling again on the ninth

After his drive found the bark chips left of the ninth fairway, Smith’s second has come up 15m short of the green, requiring another clutch up and down to save par.

After a decent approach, Smith has 6 feet left for his par.

Another par putt slides just by on the left edge as Smith makes the turn 1-over on his day, and 4-under for the championship as a storm is brewing behind him over Brisbane.

How about these shots from Dylan Evans.

Highs and lows to start the the back nine

After a birdie to get things going on the tenth, Smith was forced to take his shoes and socks off to play his second from the water on the 11th.

After a decent recovery, Smith missed the 12-footer for par, tapping in for bogey and giving his gained shot straight back.

Bounce back on the 12th

After a perfect tee shot on the short par-4 12th, Smith was able to nestle his pitch to just outside a foot and converted the birdie putt.

He gets back to even on his day and 5-under for the championship, four shots back of leader Phoenix Campbell.

Riding the wave on the 13th

Smith bombs another drive to the front of the green on 13, leaving a perfect line in to back left pin.

Smith’s itch comes up 5 feet short of the hole, a good look at birdie to go under-par on his day.

BRUTAL! Smith’s birdie putt lips out hard the left edge, he taps it in for par.

Safely in the fairway on the 14th

Driving down the right side, Smith finds the fairway on the par-4 14th, setting up a strong chance to knock one close and set up another birdie.

After his approach trickled off a knob of the green on the right side, Smith faces a very tricky up and down to save par.

A flop shot left Smith 8-feet for par, his putt lipping out on the right side this time.

Tapping in for bogey, Smith’s round is back to 1-over, 4-under for the week.

Stroke of luck on the 15th

It looked as if Smith’s drive had found the water on the 15th, but it just hangs on, he was forced to pitch back to the fairway though.

Smith has managed to get his third up on the front edge of the green on the par-5, and has 18-feet for an outside birdie chance.

Just missing on the left side, Smith taps in for par, likely a relieving result after thinking his drive was in the water off the tee.

Go time on the 16th

Smith’s tee shot is in the perfect position down the left side of 16, opening up a great angle into the back right pin position.

Smith safely made par.

Finishing strong

Smith made a final birdie on the par-5 17th to get his round back to even, and finished with a par on the tough par-3 18th.

Starting and finishing his day at 5-under, Smith limited a lot of the damage today, however the overnight leaders both continued scoring, and Smith now finds himself five shots off the pace heading into the weekend.