The 22-year-old from Melbourne, who a decade ago was the best young tennis player of her age in the country, finished fourth in the Magical Kenya Ladies Open on Sunday with one of the best performances of her burgeoning professional career.
The tournament was won by rising Indian star Aditi Ashok, who blitzed the field to win her fourth LET title by nine shots.
The two-time Olympian raced to victory at the picturesque Vipingo Ridge course near Mombasa, complete with its exotic local wildlife, requiring only a final-round one-over-par 74 to seal victory - and she even managed to take time to admire the giraffes.
"It has been a great week, it's proof to myself that my off-season and hard work has paid off," Ashok said.
"It's definitely different and part of the experience of playing in Kenya. It was cool to see giraffes - I don't think I've ever seen them that close before."
Back in the chasing pack, tour rookie Ruffels - with her own final round of 74 - finished a shot behind England's Alice Hewson and Thailand's April Angurasaranee, who were tied for second on three under.
It is still early days for Ruffels in her pro career after she gave up her amateur status in 2021.
Yet being the first Australian to win the US Women's Amateur in 2019 and her top-13 finishes at the US Women's Open and Women's British Open in 2020 had already identified her as a big prospect.
Ruffels secured her spot on the LET late last year thanks to an eighth-place finish at Q-School in La Manga, Spain.
The daughter of tennis players - Australian Ray Ruffels, a men's doubles winner and three-time singles semi-finalist at his home Open, and American Anna-Maria Fernandez - she was a young tennis champion in Victoria before taking up golf at 15.
