Ruiter Tees Off at The 154th Open Championship Thursday
7/14/2026 10:05:00 AM | Men's Golf
CHARLESTON, S.C. – Nevill Ruiter will become the first Cougar to participate in The Open Championship when he tees off at The Royal Birkdale Golf Club on Thursday morning.
The 154th Open Championship will mark Ruiter's first appearance in a major championship less than two months after concluding his collegiate career with the Cougars at the NCAA Athens Regional.
The Netherlands native advanced to The Open Championship with a T4, 3-under finish at Final Qualifying at Dundonald Links on June 30. The top five finishers at the event secured a spot in the major championship.
Ruiter, who ranked 182nd in the World Amateur Golf Rankings prior to Final Qualifying, also becomes the first Dutch amateur to qualify for The Open through Final Qualifying.
The recent graduate concluded his Charleston career with a spot on the All-CAA Second Team for back-to-back postseason honors after earning first team honors in 2025. The overall fifth ranked CAA golfer in the NCAA Clipp'd standings with a 71.3 stroke average, he won the Giles-Sprately Collegiate individual title to conclude the regular season. He finished T10 (-6) at the NCAA Athens Regional, sinking the seventh most birdies of any competitor in the field.
Ruiter tees off from The Royal Birkdale on Thursday, July 15 at 11:21 a.m. est. He will play the opening round with Kazuki Higa and Jiho Yang. For more information and to follow along, click here.
For complete coverage of Charleston men's golf, follow us on X (@cofcmgolf) and Instagram (@cofcmensgolf).
The 154th Open Championship will mark Ruiter's first appearance in a major championship less than two months after concluding his collegiate career with the Cougars at the NCAA Athens Regional.
The Netherlands native advanced to The Open Championship with a T4, 3-under finish at Final Qualifying at Dundonald Links on June 30. The top five finishers at the event secured a spot in the major championship.
Ruiter, who ranked 182nd in the World Amateur Golf Rankings prior to Final Qualifying, also becomes the first Dutch amateur to qualify for The Open through Final Qualifying.
The recent graduate concluded his Charleston career with a spot on the All-CAA Second Team for back-to-back postseason honors after earning first team honors in 2025. The overall fifth ranked CAA golfer in the NCAA Clipp'd standings with a 71.3 stroke average, he won the Giles-Sprately Collegiate individual title to conclude the regular season. He finished T10 (-6) at the NCAA Athens Regional, sinking the seventh most birdies of any competitor in the field.
Ruiter tees off from The Royal Birkdale on Thursday, July 15 at 11:21 a.m. est. He will play the opening round with Kazuki Higa and Jiho Yang. For more information and to follow along, click here.
For complete coverage of Charleston men's golf, follow us on X (@cofcmgolf) and Instagram (@cofcmensgolf).
Players Mentioned
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