Ryan van Velzen
South African professional golfer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ryan van Velzen (born 4 October 2001) is a South African professional golfer who plays on the European Tour and the Sunshine Tour. He won the 2023–24 Sunshine Tour Order of Merit. He also finished runner-up at the 2023 Investec South African Open Championship and the 2024 Alfred Dunhill Championship.[1]
South Africa| Ryan van Velzen | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Born | 4 October 2001 | ||
| Sporting nationality | South Africa | ||
| Residence | Benoni, South Africa | ||
| Career | |||
| Turned professional | 2021 | ||
| Current tours | European Tour Sunshine Tour | ||
| Professional wins | 4 | ||
| Number of wins by tour | |||
| Sunshine Tour | 2 | ||
| Other | 2 | ||
| Best results in major championships | |||
| Masters Tournament | DNP | ||
| PGA Championship | CUT: 2024 | ||
| U.S. Open | DNP | ||
| The Open Championship | CUT: 2024 | ||
| Achievements and awards | |||
| |||
Professional career
Van Velzen won two tournaments on the 2020–21 Big Easy Tour as an amateur,[2][3] before turning professional in April 2021.[4] He joined the Sunshine Tour and recorded a best finish in his rookie season with a tie for 4th at the Kit Kat Group Pro-Am. On the 2022–23 Sunshine Tour, he secured his maiden title at the Limpopo Championship, the penultimate regular event of the season.[5]
On the 2023–24 Sunshine Tour, he was runner-up at the Investec South African Open Championship, three shots behind winner Dean Burmester.[6] He also won the Mediclinic Invitational[7] and lost in a playoff to Mikael Lindberg at the Bain's Whisky Cape Town Open.[8] He secured the top spot in the Order of Merit and was promoted to the 2025 European Tour.[9] It also earned him starts at the 2024 PGA Championship (his first major appearance) and the 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon.[10]
In his fourth start on the 2025 European Tour, he finished runner-up at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in December 2024, one shot behind Shaun Norris.[11]
Professional wins (4)
Sunshine Tour wins (2)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 Apr 2023 | Limpopo Championship | −12 (69-67-68=204)[a] | 1 stroke | Luca Filippi, Jaco Prinsloo, Daniel van Tonder |
| 2 | 28 Jan 2024 | Mediclinic Invitational | −25 (66-69-64-64=263) | 4 strokes | Neil Schietekat |
Sunshine Tour playoff record (0–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2024 | Bain's Whisky Cape Town Open |  Mikael Lindberg |
Lost to birdie on second extra hole |
Big Easy Tour wins (2)
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 2024 |
|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | |
| PGA Championship | CUT |
| U.S. Open | |
| The Open Championship | CUT |
CUT = missed the half-way cut
Notes
- Shortened to 54 holes due to weather.