At just 16, standout amateur Ryan Ruffels has some time to ponder his future -- namely, where he'll play his college golf in the U.S. He has a lot of programs hoping they'll win his commitment, including Arizona State.
In fact, the Sun Devils are so serious about attracting Ruffels, who was born in the U.S. but has lived in Australia for five years, that noted alumni Phil Mickelson placed a recruiting call to the teen.
"I was out here putting and I got this call from an international number and I jumped on my phone and he said, 'Hey, it's Phil Mickelson,' " Ruffels said, according to the Eden Magnet. "I thought one of my mates from school was giving me a prank call."
It was no joke; the pair had a great conversation.
"We chatted for an hour and I'm just starting to get some exposure to those big players and it's great," Ruffels added. "They've obviously won majors and that's something I'm trying to do when I'm older, so learning the ropes from them is pretty cool."
Maybe what caught Phil's attention was what caught Rory McIlroy's: Last year, Ruffels became the youngest player to ever record a top-25 finish in the Australian Open.
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