J. C. Ritchie Explained

J. C. Ritchie
Fullname:Juan Carlo Ritchie
Birth Date:24 February 1994
Birth Place:Standerton, South Africa
Weight:235lb
Yearpro:2014
Tour:European Tour
Sunshine Tour
Extour:Challenge Tour
Prowins:12
Sunwins:10
Chalwins:4
Otherwins:2
Masters:DNP
Usopen:CUT: 2020
Open:T40: 2021
Pga:DNP
Award1:Sunshine Tour
Order of Merit winner
Year1:2019–20

Juan Carlo "J.C." Ritchie (born 24 February 1994) is a South African professional golfer. He plays on the European Tour and the Sunshine Tour where he has won ten times.

Professional career

Ritchie's first win on the Sunshine Tour was at Royal Harare Golf Club in the 2017 Zimbabwe Open where he beat Trevor Fisher Jnr at the second hole of a playoff.[1] He was third in the 2018 BMW SA Open and also finished third in the 2017–18 Sunshine Tour Order of Merit. In August 2018 he won the Sun Carnival City Challenge.[2] In March 2019, partnered with Jaco Prinsloo, he won the Sunshine Tour Team Championship and the following week won the Limpopo Championship at the first hole of a playoff with Steve Surry.[3] The following month he won the Zanaco Masters in Zambia, again at the first hole of a playoff against Rhys Enoch. He had two further wins in early 2020, retaining the Team Championship and the Limpopo Championship in successive weeks.

In May 2021, Ritchie won the Bain's Whisky Cape Town Open, beating Jacques Blaauw in a sudden-death playoff.[4] He successfully defended this title in February 2022, winning by one shot ahead of Christopher Mivis.[5] The following week, he won the Jonsson Workwear Open, winning by six shots, again ahead of Mivis.[6]

Professional wins (12)

Sunshine Tour wins (10)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMargin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
123 Apr 2017Zimbabwe Open74-67-67-64=272−16Playoff Trevor Fisher Jnr
210 Aug 2018Sun Carnival City Challenge64-72-72=208−81 stroke Alex Haindl, Toto Thimba Jnr
32 Mar 2019Team Championship
(with Jaco Prinsloo)
61-66-62=189−271 stroke Jacques Blaauw and Merrick Bremner
410 Mar 2019Limpopo Championship66-69-70-65=270−18Playoff Steve Surry
57 Apr 2019Zanaco Masters70-68-66-70=274−18Playoff Rhys Enoch
625 Jan 2020Gauteng Team Championship (2)
(with Jaco Prinsloo)
61-68-62=191−252 strokes Jaco Ahlers and Vaughn Groenewald
72 Feb 2020Limpopo Championship1 (2)66-69-67-67=269−192 strokes Wilco Nienaber
82 May 2021Bain's Whisky Cape Town Open171-69-68-66=274−14Playoff Jacques Blaauw
920 Feb 2022Bain's Whisky Cape Town Open1 (2)69-66-67-68=270−181 stroke Christopher Mivis
1027 Feb 2022Jonsson Workwear Open161-63-65-71=260−266 strokes Christopher Mivis
1Co-sanctioned by the Challenge Tour

Sunshine Tour playoff record (4–0)

No.YearTournamentOpponentResult
12017Zimbabwe Open Trevor Fisher JnrWon with birdie on second extra hole
22019Limpopo Championship Steve SurryWon with birdie on first extra hole
32019Zanaco Masters Rhys EnochWon with birdie on first extra hole
42021Bain's Whisky Cape Town Open Jacques BlaauwWon with birdie on first extra hole

Challenge Tour wins (4)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMargin of
victory
Runner-up
12 Feb 2020Limpopo Championship166-69-67-67=269−192 strokes Wilco Nienaber
22 May 2021Bain's Whisky Cape Town Open171-69-68-66=274−14Playoff Jacques Blaauw
320 Feb 2022Bain's Whisky Cape Town Open1 (2)69-66-67-68=270−181 stroke Christopher Mivis
427 Feb 2022Jonsson Workwear Open161-63-65-71=260−266 strokes Christopher Mivis
1Co-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour

Challenge Tour playoff record (1–0)

IGT Pro Tour wins (2)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory
Runner-up
17 Aug 2013IGT Winter Challenge State Mines CC−8 (72-65-71=208)2 strokes Rhys West
213 Aug 2014Race to Asian Q-School Irene Country Club−17 (65-67-67=199)5 strokes Jason Smith (a)

Results in major championships

Results not in chronological order in 2020.

Tournament20202021
Masters Tournament
PGA Championship
U.S. OpenCUT
The Open ChampionshipNTT40
CUT = missed the half-way cut
NT = No tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic

Results in World Golf Championships

Tournament2018201920202021
ChampionshipT68
Match PlayNT1
Invitational
Champions76NT1NT1
1Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
NT = No tournament
"T" = Tied

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ritchie wins Zimbabwe Open . Sport 24 . 23 April 2017.
  2. Web site: Ritchie holds on for Sun Carnival City victory . Sport 24 . 10 August 2018.
  3. Web site: Ritchie claims inaugural Limpopo Championship . Sport 24 . 10 March 2019.
  4. Web site: Ritchie snatches victory at Cape Town Open . Compleat golfer . 2 May 2021 . 20 February 2022.
  5. Web site: JC Ritchie makes Cape Town Open history . MSN Sport . 20 February 2022.
  6. Web site: JC Ritchie: "It was tough out there in Durban" . Tennis World USA . Andrea . Gussoni . 2 March 2022.