Ryan van Velzen (born 4 October 2001) is a South African professional golfer who plays on the European Tour and the

Sunshine Tour The Sunshine Tour is a men's professional golf tour based in Southern and East Africa. For much of its early history it was known either as the Southern Africa Tour or Sunshine Circuit; through sponsorship deals, it has also been known as the F ...

. He won the

2023–24 Sunshine Tour The 2023–24 Sunshine Tour was the 53rd season of the Sunshine Tour (formerly the Southern Africa Tour), the main professional golf tour in South Africa since it was formed in 1971. Changes for 2023–24 The full 2023–24 schedule was announc ...

Order of Merit. He also finished runner-up at the 2023 Investec South African Open Championship and the 2024 Alfred Dunhill Championship.

Professional career

Van Velzen won two tournaments on the 2020–21 Big Easy Tour as an amateur, before turning professional in April 2021. He joined the

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. On the

, he was runner-up at the Investec South African Open Championship, three shots behind winner Dean Burmester. He also won the Mediclinic Invitational and lost in a playoff to Mikael Lindberg at the Bain's Whisky Cape Town Open. He secured the top spot in the

Order of Merit The Order of Merit () is an order of merit for the Commonwealth realms, recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or the promotion of culture. Established in 1902 by Edward VII, admission into the order r ...

and was promoted to the 2025 European Tour. It also earned him starts at the 2024 PGA Championship (his first major appearance) and the 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon. 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.

Professional wins (4)

Sunshine Tour wins (2)

''*Note: The 2023 Limpopo Championship was shortened to 54 holes due to rain.'' Sunshine Tour playoff record (0–1)

Big Easy Tour wins (2)

Results in major championships

CUT = missed the half-way cut

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Van Velzen, Ryan South African male golfers Sunshine Tour golfers Sportspeople from Benoni Golfers from Gauteng Afrikaner people 2001 births Living people 21st-century South African sportsmen