In the wake of his 74th place to end Genesis Scoter Open Two Sundays ago, Ryan Gerard had a difficult decision to make.
As a high-ranking alternative on the first list of the open championship, Gerard, then the 75th Ranging player in the world, had a reasonable chance to get his name called to play in his first open. The problem was, in the same week, the 25-year-old was also planned to play at the PGA Tour’s opposite field event, The Barracuda championship.
Barracuda, who, for the record, has no connection to deep sea fishing or Pat Benatar (named for a security company), is a long way out of the open, both literally and figuratively. Host area, Tahoe Mountain Club in Truckee, Calif., Is about 5,000 miles from this year’s open place, Royal in northern Ireland. Barracuda’s $ 4 million was $ 13 million less than offered Open, and Barracuda also represents the rare week in tours when high results are better than low. (The modified format of the tournament stable shows the points for birds and the eagle and subtracts them for bogeys and worse.)
However, the time of the decision for Gerard: Stay in the UK and I hope his ticket withdrew somewhere between the Monday and the early Thursday morning of the open week in Portrush, or pack his bags for Tahoe for a guaranteed time in Barracuda.
After some soul research, Gerard chose option 2, throwing a flight to Cali that put it at 2:30 on Tuesday. “It was something that my Kadia, the agent, the family, the team, everyone agreed,” Gerard said later. “Go where you feel comfortable. Know that you have a Thursday’s time and just trust it and go to use as much as possible.”
But Gerard still couldn’t help think, What if? -Sidomos after the open attractions of Ernie Els and Paul Waring slammed Gerar in second place alternately. Only two more scratches and he would be inside. “There were some conversations if we had to fly again and try to wait,” he said. “I would have been whispered if I had taken open and I wouldn’t be there.”
On the rolling side, Gerard without the overthrow of the state’s attitude. He has played well in Barracuda, ending 5th in 2023. He likes the course. Area. Vibe. There is also this: “I want to play golf,” he said, “so I realized that I can play this week too.”
Good call? Nah, a great one.
Gerard caught a part of Barracuda’s supremacy through three rounds, then went to the early gas in the last round with a five-point eagle in par-5 3, a feat he would repeat in par-5 11. Sunday with 13 points Gerard was good enough to secure him (with three points) his first PGA Tour victory and raised him on the 28th ranking.
Given Barracuda is an “extra field” event, the victory won Gerard a place in the PGA Championship next year, but none of the other diplomas means that he will have to find another way to play in his first open championship.
