LIBBY — Libby's Ryggs Johnston, one of Montana's most decorated golfers, has made a name for himself early into his professional career by winning the ISPS Handa Australian Open in December.
“My hands were shaking, my legs were shaking still because it's been a while since I won, and that first pro win's pretty cool,” Johnston told MTN Sports. “When that (putt) went in it was such a sigh of relief and like, 'Wow, I actually did this.'”
After winning the tournament, in the second start of his first season on the European tour, Johnston returned to a champion's welcome in Libby where his golf career started to celebrate with the people who have been with him since the beginning.
“It's not the best facilities or anything. It's enough obviously to get good and get better, but I think it just always kept me humble growing up from a small town and growing up playing it here at Cabinet View,” Johnston said.
“I learned that I had to earn everything, and people have to earn everything when they come from a small town. It's just made it that much more rewarding, I think, to be able to share this victory now with Libby.”
The journey from Libby to the European tour was not an easy one, but Johnston's dad Roger says he’s been working towards that goal his entire life.
“He was hitting 1,000 balls a day when he was 2 years old,” Roger Johnston said. “I'd literally come home from work after eight hours, 10 hours, sit in a chair and tee balls up for him and watch him hit them down the driveway. And it was 1,000 balls a night.”
That work ethic never stopped, especially into Johnston’s high school days where he won four consecutive Class A individual state championships at Libby High School.
Johnston’s high school coach, Dann Rohrer, says even the snow would not stop Ryggs from perfecting his game.
“I walked out there and he was carrying a hitting mat on his shoulder. Because the reason we don't want him out there is taking divots in the middle of the winter. He was carrying a hitting mat and he set it down, hit the ball, and then he'd walk up, put the ball on the mat, hit it again,” Rohrer said.
“I mean that's just the kind of kid he was. He just, he worked so hard and we're so proud of him.”
Johnston says his time playing golf in the harsh Montana elements has already helped him in his professional career.
“Honestly, I think I got a little soft when I went to college in Arizona because we just had perfect weather all the time and perfect courses,” Johnston said. “So going over to Europe and seeing more of those tougher conditions and courses that weren't necessarily in perfect shape during Q school, I think it kind of brought me back to the high school days playing around here in tougher conditions like that.”
Now with his first pro win under his belt, Johnston has qualified to play in the 2025 Open Championship at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland in July, and he is looking forward to playing among the best golfers in the world.
“It's always been a dream of mine to play in the majors and to be able to accomplish that my first year as a pro, basically, first couple of years, it's really cool,” Johnston said.
“It's a major; it's going be tough. I'm just going take it with the attitude of it's going be really hard and I'm going have to work for it and earn it, and hopefully play well in it and not have too high of expectations but just go try to enjoy it and do my best.”
