Ryan Gerard made a big splash in his PGA Championship debut. He shot a 5-under 66 at Quail Hollow to take the early first-round lead. His score was one shot better than the group tied in second.
Gerard started strong with a birdie on hole 2 but gave it back with a bogey on 3. He added another birdie and made the turn at 1-under. His back nine was where things took off.
Gerard caught fire with four straight birdies from holes 10 through 13. Then, on the par-5 15th, he chipped in for eagle from 58 feet. That got him to 7-under.
This is Ryan Gerard’s card from the Honda Monday Q in 2023. Birdied three of the last 6 to get into a 5 for 3 playoff.
— Monday Q Info (@acaseofthegolf1) May 15, 2025
On the 3rd playoff hole he made bogey…luckily for him it won the hole.
He went on to finish 4th that week, in is his first ever pga tour event.
Changed… pic.twitter.com/ngHOISVXhN
But the Green Mile, holes 16 through 18, hit back. He made par on 16, which gave trouble to stars like Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler. Then he bogeyed 17 and 18, dropping two strokes to finish at 5-under.
Even with that tough finish, it was a standout round. Gerard leads the field in strokes gained tee-to-green at +5.186. He’s also third in approach-the-green with +2.919.
This was his 13th par or better opening round in his last 14 starts. His only over-par start came at the Valero Texas Open, where he finished solo second. His best result of the year. However, despite the victory, not many know Ryan Gerard, so here’s his story.
Who Is Ryan Gerard? From College Golfer to PGA Contender
Gerard is from Raleigh, North Carolina. He went to UNC Chapel Hill and turned pro in 2022. While at UNC, he played with Ben Griffin and won the 2021 Rod Myers Invitational. In 2022, he was co-medalist at a U.S. Open qualifier in Jupiter, Florida. He made his major debut at The Country Club but missed the cut with rounds of 74 and 73.
In his first PGA Tour season, Gerard played 22 events. He had two top-10s and three top-25s but only made 12 cuts. He moved to the Korn Ferry Tour in 2023. He played 26 events and won the BMW Charity Pro-Am in June. That season, he had four top-10s and 12 top-25s, missing only six cuts.
Ryan Gerard is from North Carolina and played college golf for North Carolina. Gerard leads.
— Bryan Ives (@awaytoworthy) May 15, 2025
Ryan Fox’s caddie is named Dean Smith. Fox is T-2nd.
The PGA Championship is in Charlotte. pic.twitter.com/Ot2dzkqaXI
He finished 13th on the Korn Ferry Points List. That gave him full Tour status through 2025. He’s made the most of it.
So far in 2025, Gerard has 14 starts. He’s had one runner-up finish, two top-10s, and six top-25s. He’s only missed two cuts all year. His best finish was at the Valero. He also placed ninth at the Texas Children’s Houston Open. Now, he leads the PGA Championship by one shot. Can he keep it going and win in his first try?
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