CLIFTON, N.J. — Epson Tour Player of the Year Gabriela Ruffels currently sits in a tie for third after a solid Moving Day at the Cognizant Founders Cup. The 2024 LPGA Tour rookie carded a near-perfect, 5-under 67 on Saturday at Upper Montclair Country Club in Clifton, N.J., making one bogey and six birdies to post a 54-hole total of 8-under.
Ruffels shot out of the gate, rattling off three consecutive birdies on holes two, three and four to move to 6-under overall. The Epson Tour graduate then made another birdie on the par-3 8th hole, parring No. 9 to turn in 32.
She dropped her only shot of the day on the par-4 11th hole, and after parring holes 12, 13 and 14, she cleaned up that mistake with a birdie on the par-3 15th hole. Ruffels grabbed one final birdie on the tricky, par-4 18th hole to ultimately post a 67 and sit 11 shots back of the 54-hole lead, held by Sweden’s Madelene Sagstrom.
“It's kind of a funky course in that there are some gettable holes for sure,” said Ruffels. “A lot of the par 5s are quite reachable. But then (there are) some really challenging holes, like 3 or 16 where you have to hit a really good drive and really good long iron in. I feel like it favors a good ball-striker, and I feel like that's definitely one of my strengths. This week I've been putting it really good, so hopefully can continue that tomorrow.”
While an 11-shot deficit will take a monumental effort from the young talent to overcome on Sunday, much more unexpected things have happened in golf. The three-time Epson Tour winner is no stranger to contending for professional titles, and Ruffels often credits her experience on the Official Qualifying Tour of the LPGA as the reason her early success this season on the biggest stage in women’s golf.
“I say this all the time, but the Epson Tour was absolutely great competition, and the field is so strong, and the girls are so strong,” Ruffels said. “Last year taught me so much. Grateful for that year last year, going back on the Epson Tour and really trying to prove myself out there. I learned so much. Learned how to win on a professional level, which I had never done before. Hopefully, I can take those learning things and transfer them out here.”
This week marks Ruffels’ eighth start of her rookie season on the LPGA Tour, and in her seven previous tournaments, the 24-year-old has earned three top-15 finishes. She tied for 15th at the Blue Bay LPGA in the People’s Republic of China in March and then finished T3 at the FIR HILLS SERI PAK Championship at Palos Verdes Golf Club, which is her career-best finish on the LPGA Tour.
Ruffels then tied for 13th at the Ford Championship presented by KCC in Gilbert, Ariz., a week that saw her card her lowest career round on Tour on day one at Seville Golf and Country Club, when the Australian fired an 8-under 64 in the first round.
Tomorrow’s weather forecast once again looks a wee bit dicey, and the 72 players left in the field will likely be dealing with challenging conditions similar to what they faced on Friday in the Garden State. With a chasmic distance between her and the leaders, Ruffels isn’t trying to do anything fancy on Sunday to make up ground and is instead focusing on keeping her golf simple, as she knows just how difficult Upper Montclair Country Club can play when it’s cold and wet.
“Just doing the same things I've been doing the first three days,” said Ruffels when asked about her final-round mindset. “Just keeping steady, see how many fairways and greens I can hit, try and play boring golf out here. This is a really tricky golf course. I feel like it favors the steady, so just keep going with the same thing I've been doing.”
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