When Gabriela Ruffels decided to quit tennis at the age of 14 to take up golf, many thought it was a passing impulse, typical of a teenager. The reality was very different and the Australian has come all the way to the highest level in the golf world.
Gabriela Ruffels will be starting her rookie season on the LPGA Tour this Thursday, January 25, when she tees off at the Drive On Championship. Ruffels earned her LPGA card by winning the Player of The Year award on the Epson Tour last season.
The Australian was included in the 24th group of the Drive On Championship that will tee off at 12:05 pm (Eastern Time) starting from the 10th hole. Ruffels was paired with England’s Mel Reid and China’s Yan Liu.
Gabriela Ruffels became one of the best junior tennis players in the world, excelling particularly in doubles. In 2015, she surprisingly decided to quit tennis, and quickly adopted golf as her new sport.
The decision could not have gone better for her. Ruffels excelled as a golfer in a very short time and in 2018, she won a scholarship to join the University of Southern California Trojans.
The next year, Gabriela Ruffels won the US Women’s Amateur, her top result in the category. She was also part of the international team that won the 2019 Arnold Palmer Cup.
Professional career of Gabriela Ruffels
The Australian began her professional golf career in 2021. In this period, Ruffels has played mostly on the Epson Tour and the Ladies European Tour, although she has had more than a few opportunities on the LPGA Tour and the Australian circuit.
2023 was the breakthrough year for Ruffels. That year, she won no less than three tournaments on the Epson Tour (Carlisle Arizona Women’s Golf Classic, Garden City Charity Classic and Four Winds Invitational), and finished in five other Top 10s on various circuits.
Her results led to her receiving the Epson Tour Player of The Year Award and full LPGA Tour membership. However, the top level is not entirely new to Ruffels, as she has started in 20 tournaments at that level from 2020 till date.
Her best career finish so far on the LPGA Tour is a T13 at the US Women’s Open in 2020. Ruffels also finished in the Top 20 at the 2021 and 2022 ANA Inspiration, the 2021 Hugel-Air Premia LA Open and the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open.
Gabriela Ruffels is the daughter of Anna-Maria (nee Fernandez) and Ray Ruffels. Anna-Maria Fernandez is a former American professional tennis player who won five Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) doubles tournaments and was ranked 19th in the world (singles).
Ray Ruffels also had a career in professional tennis, with 13 singles and 16 doubles victories, including one Grand Slam tournament (1977 Australian Open, doubles). He also reached two Grand Slam finals in mixed doubles at Wimbeldon and the US Open, both in 1978, teaming up with American superstar Billie Jean King.