b'GOLF MONTANAL ibbys Ryggs Johnston is now in uncharted territory as the only Montanan to ever play in The Open Championship. Qualifying for the prestigious event is a remarkable achievement in itself, but then he made the cut too, finishing in a tie RYGGSfor 63rd. Playing on the biggest stage of his young career, JOHNSTON the 25-year-old Johnston sat as high as 17th at one point, propelled by a remarkable second round in which he notched seven birdies en route to a round at theof 66. The former golfing phenom from a small town in Northwest Montana somehow went above expectations once again and for a moment played 153rd Opengolf as well as anybody in the world. And thats kind of been the story on Johnston this Championship past year. While people back home in the Treasure State celebrate his most recent accolades, Ryggs goes and takes it one step further. Take for instance the DP World Tour Qualifying School last year where he fought tooth and nail through three grueling stages to obtain one of 20 coveted tour cards for 2025. As fans in Montana were wrapping our minds around the thought of a kid who grew up around more snow than grass playing in the same professional tour as major winners like Rory McIlroy, Matt Fitzpatrick, and Justin RoseJohnston went and shocked the golfing world with a win at the Australian Open.In just his second career professional tournament Johnston became the third American in the last 31 years to win the Australian Open, which automatically qualified him for the 153rd Open Championship.Energized by the early victory, the former Arizona State golfer set off on a globetrotting quest that took him through Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Europe where he competed at some of the best golf courses on earth. In his rookie season Johnston has shown some moxie by making 10 cuts out of the 21 tournaments hes played. Through his solid play this year, Johnston is currently ranked 40th in the DP World Tour Race to Dubai Rankings, which culminates in November with the top 70 ranked players battling it out at the DP World Tour Championship. While Johnstons debut at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland certainly garnered a lot of attention around the Treasure State, those who have been tracking his progress cant be too surprised that Johnston defied the odds once again (Vegas oddsmakers had him near the bottom, projected to finish in 131st place). Elevating his game during crucial moments seems to be something hes adept at, a mark that many great competitors possess. Given everything Johnston was personally playing for at Royal Portrush and what it means to our state, his 4 GOLF MONTANA|SEPT 2025'