YouTube Golf Star Ryan Ruffels stepped away from professional golf in 2022. After struggling with the yips, he started building a following on YouTube. Last month, he returned to a PGA Tour event and nearly won it.

Now, major champion Jason Day wants to see Ruffels return to professional golf full-time.

After his opening round at the 2026 Memorial Tournament on Thursday, the 2015 PGA Championship winner encouraged the 28-year-old Australian to enter PGA Tour Q-School later this year.

"He's young enough to be able to at least give it another shot," Day said, as reported by Golf Magic. "Obviously he battled chipping yips and driver yips, so he has come from the depth back. He's playing some really good golf."

Ruffels turned professional when he was 17 years old. After several close calls on developmental tours, he stepped away from golf in 2022 to focus on creating online content.

Last month, he returned to the PGA Tour with a sponsor's exemption at the Myrtle Beach Classic, his first PGA Tour event in four years.

He made the cut and was in contention after three rounds. In the end, PGA Tour veteran Brandt Snedeker pulled away in the final round and won his first title in more than eight years. Even so, Ruffels proved that he could still compete at a high level.

Day pointed to YouTube as the financial bridge that made the comeback possible.

"A lot of people don't understand how quickly money goes when you're playing on a lower Tour and how fast things go," he said.

Ruffels had to battle through yips before rediscovering his competitive spirit. The ailment refers to the sudden loss of fine motor skills or muscle memory in athletes.

"For him to be able to do it, go through it, obviously played some really good golf at Myrtle Beach, that was his first real big tournament in a long time."

The Australian currently boasts over 81K subscribers on the platform, where he posts vlogs from various events and challenges.

Ruffels' Myrtle Beach Contention Sparked a Bigger Conversation About YouTube Golf

Ruffels' strong performance at the Myrtle Beach Classic caught a lot of attention and sparked a discussion in the golf world. He found himself tied for the lead at one point during the second round at Dunes Golf and Beach Club.

"It's a weird position that I'm in, where I feel like I've got YouTube golf on my back," Ruffels said, as per Golf Channel.

Ruffels earned his place through The Q, a qualifying event for golf content creators held at Pawleys Plantation Golf and Country Club in April.

Eight golfers competed for a spot in a PGA Tour event. Ruffels won the competition by finishing two shots ahead of Grant Horvat and secured the final place in the field.

Former amateur star Brade Dalke has also received a sponsor's invitation to play in the Rocket Classic. He is also set to compete in the BMW International Open on the DP World Tour in July. Like Ruffels, Dalke is another YouTube golfer trying to make a comeback in competitive golf this season.

Pre-qualifying for Q-School starts in September. The final stage takes place in December at TPC Sawgrass and is played over 72 holes.

The top five players earn full PGA Tour cards. The next 40 players, including ties, receive Korn Ferry Tour status.

Will Ryan Ruffels take on Jason Day's advice and enter the PGA Tour Q-School? Let us know in the comments.

Read more at Club Golf.

Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Sijo Paul