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BRADENTON, Florida – Gabriela Ruffels nonetheless has a participant profile up on tennis.com.au. The daughter of two tennis professionals, Ruffels was a top-three participant in her age group, a nationwide champion for 12 and beneath and a member of the nationwide squad. Her heroes, in line with the profile, have been Kim Clijsters and Roger Federer.
To the shock of everybody, a burned-out Ruffels gave up tennis completely at age 14.
“The nationwide academy gave me a pair weeks to consider it,” mentioned Ruffels, one in all 15 LPGA rookies to start their season at this week’s Drive On Championship in Bradenton, Florida.
“Everybody thought I might come again.”
That first day away from tennis, a bored Ruffels headed to the driving vary to hit golf balls. Older brother Ryan had already left tennis for golf. The following day, Ruffels returned to the vary and thought she’d play a number of holes. In the event you’re going to do this, mom AnnaMaria advised her, take a number of classes to take pleasure in it extra. She’d taken 15-minute classes rising up (splitting a session with Ryan), however by no means needed to play.
Quickly, AnnaMaria had her signed up for a nine-hole event.
“We bought to the primary tee and all people was speaking to one another,” AnnaMaria recalled. “She mentioned, ‘Mother, this have to be a extremely rinky dink event as a result of everyone seems to be socializing and speaking on the tee.’ I mentioned ‘No, that’s golf, Gabi.’ ”
She cherished it.
Golf, it seems, wasn’t as cutthroat because the tennis ranks. Ruffels, who homeschooled on the academy and largely practiced with the identical lady each day, was glad to flee the tennis bubble and revel in a calmer sport. In golf, she discovered some peace.
In December of 2014, Ruffels performed her first 18 holes together with her dad’s golf equipment. By April, she was right down to a 5 handicap. She landed a scholarship to USC, her mom’s alma mater, received the 2019 U.S. Ladies’s Beginner and notched a pair of top-15 finishes in LPGA majors earlier than turning professional in 2021.
Gabi Ruffels performed her first 18-hole spherical in December of 2014 together with her dad’s golf equipment. A household good friend took some video that day. The previous tennis star begins her @LPGA rookie season this week.
Watch and be amazed! (🎥courtesy Ruffels household) pic.twitter.com/2ces3tfagl
— Beth Ann Nichols (@GolfweekNichols) January 23, 2024
AnnaMaria (nee Fernandez), the Nationwide Collegiate Participant of the Yr in 1981, rose as excessive as nineteenth on the planet throughout her skilled tennis profession. Husband, Ray, a three-time semifinalist on the Australian Open, partnered with Billie Jean King in combined doubles in 1978, reaching the ultimate at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.
They provide recommendation, but additionally respect their daughter’s pure instincts. Lots of people, AnnaMaria says, wouldn’t be courageous sufficient to stroll away from a sport after a lot early success, noting that Andre Agassi wrote a guide about it.
“We return and focus on a number of the tournaments we went to early on,” mentioned AnnaMaria. “She’ll say ‘I bear in mind as we have been driving in, I simply hated having to be there.’ ”
Mother and pop had no thought.
Coming to the sport so late means golf nonetheless feels recent to 23-year-old Ruffels, who likes to play greater than observe. All indicators pointed to her being on the LPGA sooner than this, however on her method to play a observe spherical for 2022 LPGA Q-Faculty, it dawned on Ruffels that she by no means signed up. A paperwork error despatched her again to the Epson Tour for the 2023 season, the place she received thrice and topped the cash record. Ruffels dealt with the error with nice grace and referred to as it a giant yr of studying.
“I’m tremendous proud I used to be in a position to have that yr on the Epson Tour, to show to myself that I can do it,” she mentioned. “To have the ability to win on the LPGA, you type of have to have the ability to climb the ladder somewhat bit.”
AnnaMaria believes her daughter wanted that further yr as a result of she began a lot later than all people else.
“So many little stuff you be taught as juniors, even in tennis, your growth as a junior actually units you up,” mentioned AnnaMaria. “Properly, she didn’t actually have that.”
When Ruffels first turned skilled, she says she tried to embody what she felt it meant to be knowledgeable, and in doing so, listened to a number of completely different individuals.
This previous yr, nevertheless, she centered on maintaining issues easy, returning to Craig Chapman, the swing coach she labored with in faculty. Chapman reminded Ruffels that she’s a really feel participant. They spent a number of time specializing in pictures from 100 yards and in to organize for the subsequent stage.
Ruffels depends closely on her brother Ryan, usually sending him questions on the way to play sure pictures or recommendation on track administration. Whereas mother caddied for her on the Epson Tour, she’ll have veteran LPGA caddie John Killeen on the bag to begin the season in Florida.
Grace Kim, a fellow Aussie who received final yr as an LPGA rookie, reconnected with Ruffels on the Epson Tour and practiced together with her at Isleworth Golf and Nation Membership in Windermere, Florida, through the off weeks. Whereas Ruffels performs beneath the Australian flag, she was born in Orlando, Florida, and spends a lot of her time now together with her mother and father within the California desert.
“I don’t assume she has weak spot,” mentioned Kim. “She hits the ball straight and lengthy and putts effectively. When she’s on hearth, nobody is stopping her.”
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