{{short description|South African professional golfer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox golfer | name = Ryan van Velzen | image = | image_size = <!-- e.g. 250px (default is 200px) --> | caption = | fullname = | nickname = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2001|10|4|df=y}} | birth_place = | death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|2001|10|4|df=y}} --> | death_place = | height = {{height|ft=|in=}} | weight = <!-- {{convert| |lb|kg st|abbr=on}} OR {{convert| |kg|lb st|abbr=on}} --> | nationality = {{ZAF}} | residence = Benoni, South Africa | spouse = | partner = | children = | college = | yearpro = 2021 | tour = European Tour<br>Sunshine Tour | extour = | prowins = 5 | pgawins = <!-- Number of PGA Tour wins --> | eurowins = | japwins = <!-- Number of Japan Golf Tour wins --> | asiawins = <!-- Number of Asian Tour wins --> | sunwins = 2 | auswins = <!-- Number of PGA Tour of Australasia wins --> | nwidewins = <!-- Number of Web.com Tour wins --> | chalwins = 1 | champwins = <!-- Number of Champions Tour wins --> | seneurowins = <!-- Number of European Seniors Tour wins --> | otherwins = 2 | majorwins = <!-- Number of Major Championship wins --> | masters = DNP | usopen = DNP | open = CUT: 2024 | pga = CUT: 2024 | wghofid = <!-- World Golf Hall of Fame member ID --> | wghofyear = <!-- World Golf Hall of Fame year inducted --> | award1 = Sunshine Tour <br>Order of Merit winner | year1 = 2023–24 | award2 = | year2 = | awardssection = <!-- location of awards page or section --> }} '''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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ryan van Velzen |url=https://www.europeantour.com/players/ryan-van-velzen-101611/?tour=dpworld-tour |publisher=European Tour |access-date=11 February 2025}}</ref>
==Professional career== Van Velzen won two tournaments on the 2020–21 Big Easy Tour as an amateur,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://satourgolf.co.za/2020/10/21/teen-van-velzen-claims-maiden-big-easy-title-with-services-triumph/ |title=Teen Van Velzen claims maiden Big Easy title with Services triumph |work=SA Tour Golf |date=21 October 2020 |access-date=12 February 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://satourgolf.co.za/2021/03/25/van-velzen-claims-victory-as-slatter-stutters-in-springs/ |title=Van Velzen claims victory as Slatter stutters in Springs |work=SA Tour Golf |date=25 March 2021 |access-date=12 February 2025}}</ref> before turning professional in April 2021.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://supersport.com/golf/sa-golf/news/210409_New_pro_Van_Velzen_races_to_Bushveld_Tour_win_at_Parkview/new-pro-van-velzen-races-to-bushveld-tour-win-at-parkview |title=New pro Van Velzen races to Bushveld Tour win at Parkview |work=SuperSport |date=9 April 2021 |access-date=12 February 2025}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Vlismas |first=Michael |title=Debut Sunshine Tour win for Van Velzen |url=https://www.compleatgolfer.com/sunshine-tour/debut-sunshine-tour-win-van-velzen/ |access-date=11 February 2025 |magazine=Compleat Golfer |date=2 April 2023}}</ref>
On the 2023–24 Sunshine Tour, he was runner-up at the Investec South African Open Championship, three shots behind winner Dean Burmester.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.tennisworldusa.org/other_news/golf/140582/south-african-open-championship-big-duel/ |title=South African Open Championship, big duel |work=Tennis World |first=Andrea |last=Gussoni |date=4 December 2023 |access-date=12 February 2025}}</ref> He also won the Mediclinic Invitational<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.news24.com/sport/golf/rising-star-van-velzen-dominates-to-win-mediclinic-invitational-20240128 |title=Rising star Van Velzen dominates to win Mediclinic Invitational |work=News24 |first=Michael |last=Vlismas |date=28 January 2024 |access-date=12 February 2025}}</ref> and lost in a playoff to Mikael Lindberg at the Bain's Whisky Cape Town Open.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/sport/other-sport/2024-02-11-mikael-lindberg-holds-his-nerve-in-playoff-to-win-cape-town-open/ |title=Mikael Lindberg holds his nerve in playoff to win Cape Town Open |work=BusinessDay |first=Michael |last=Vlismas |date=11 February 2024 |access-date=12 February 2025}}</ref> He secured the top spot in the Order of Merit and was promoted to the 2025 European Tour.<ref name=dpwt>{{cite web |url=https://supersport.com/golf/sa-golf/news/0b75418c-9b4d-49d4-8775-1337778289e4/broomhead-wins-on-a-day-celebrating-sunshine-tour-excellence |title=Broomhead wins on a day celebrating Sunshine Tour excellence |work=SuperSport |date=14 April 2024 |access-date=14 April 2024 |quote=The tournament also finalised the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit delivered by The Courier Guy. Ryan van Velzen finished first here in a breakthrough season where he won twice. His triumph saw him secure a DP World Tour card...}}</ref> It also earned him starts at the 2024 PGA Championship (his first major appearance) and the 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon.<ref>{{cite news |last=Jaques |first=van der Westhuyzen |title=Ven Velzen Get His Due Reward |url=https://www.pressreader.com/south-africa/the-citizen-kzn/20240510/282162181305804 |access-date=11 February 2025 |work=The Citizen |date=10 May 2024 |via=PressReader}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite news |title=Norris wins Alfred Dunhill with final-round 67 |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/golf/articles/c745z3z5499o |access-date=11 February 2025 |work=BBC Sport |date=15 December 2024}}</ref>
==Professional wins (5)== ===Sunshine Tour wins (2)=== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;" !No.!!Date!!Tournament!!Winning score!!Margin of<br>victory!!Runner(s)-up |- |align=center|1 |align=right|2 Apr 2023 |Limpopo Championship |−12 (69-67-68=204){{efn|name=weather|Shortened to 54 holes due to weather.}} |1 stroke |{{flagicon|ZAF}} Luca Filippi, {{flagicon|ZAF}} Jaco Prinsloo,<br>{{flagicon|ZAF}} Daniel van Tonder |- |align=center|2 |align=right|28 Jan 2024 |Mediclinic Invitational |−25 (66-69-64-64=263) |4 strokes |{{flagicon|ZAF}} Neil Schietekat |}
'''Sunshine Tour playoff record (0–1)''' {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;" !No.!!Year!!Tournament!!Opponent!!Result |-style="background:#F2C1D1;" |align=center|1 |2024 |Bain's Whisky Cape Town Open |{{flagicon|SWE}} Mikael Lindberg |Lost to birdie on second extra hole |}
===Challenge Tour wins (1)=== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;" !No.!!Date!!Tournament!!Winning score!!Margin of<br>victory!!Runners-up |- |align=center|1 |align=right|31 May 2026 |Challenge de España |−17 (64-71-63-69=267) |2 strokes |{{flagicon|NED}} Wil Besseling, {{flagicon|USA}} Dan Erickson |}
===Big Easy Tour wins (2)=== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;" !No.!!Date!!Tournament!!Winning score!!Margin of<br>victory!!Runner(s)-up |- |align=center|1 |align=right|21 Oct 2020 |Big Easy Road To #1<br>(as an amateur) |−16 (65-66-69=200) |2 strokes |{{flagicon|ZAF}} Dylan Kok, {{flagicon|ZAF}} Vaughn van Deventer,<br>{{flagicon|ZAF}} Warwick Purchase |- |align=center|2 |align=right|25 Mar 2021 |Big Easy Road To #8<br>(as an amateur) |−13 (68-68-67=203) |1 stroke |{{flagicon|ZAF}} Matthew Rushton |}
==Results in major championships== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;text-align:center;" !Tournament !2024 |- |align=left|Masters Tournament |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |- |align=left|PGA Championship |CUT |- |align=left|U.S. Open |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |- |align=left|The Open Championship |CUT |} {{legend|#eeeeee|Did not play}} CUT = missed the half-way cut<!--<br> "T" = tied -->
==Notes== {{notelist}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{SunshineTour player|VAN303|Ryan Van Velzen}} * {{EuroTour player|101611|Ryan van Velzen}} * {{PGATour player|59629|Ryan van Velzen}} * {{OWGR|27960}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Van Velzen, Ryan}} Category:South African male golfers Category:Sunshine Tour golfers Category:Sportspeople from Benoni Category:Golfers from Gauteng Category:Afrikaner people Category:2001 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century South African sportsmen