He is chasing the Masters invitational – on the island 10,000 miles from Augusta National

The storylines are narrowed here at the end of the calendar year, but a good one is still there – really, far away from America, on an island in the Indian Ocean.

A Masters seat is at stake.

We’re talking about the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, a bumper season event on the DP World Tour played in, yes, Mauritius, an island neighboring Madagascar on the eastern side of Africa. It’s about 10,000 miles from Augusta National, but it’s where a Masters invitational will be held this weekend.

Enter Ryan Gerard, the 51st player in the world and the top player in the Mauritius Open field. These two facts are connected. A way of earning an invitation to the Masters is the ranking in the top 50 in the world at the end of the previous calendar year. This week’s event is essentially the last tournament EVERYWHERE in 2025 with which you can earn enough points to crack that list. That’s why Gerard flew there, with an 8-hour stopover in Rome – a journey of more than 27 hours, according to his discussion with Monday Q Info’s Ryan French.

And after 36 holes, Gerard is at the core.

Gerard sits at seven under, five shots off the lead, impressive considering the jet lag he must be feeling. He’s tied for fifth at the halfway mark and only needs a two-way tie for fourth to crack the top 50, which would knock #50 (sorry, Sam Stevens!) out of the way. Stevens has been forced to do exactly what the rest of us are doing – watch from home – while Gerard tries to make enough birdies to win the final Masters bid. With a 9-hour time difference from Wichita, where Stevens resides, the current Mr. 50 will wake up Sunday morning (assuming he doesn’t stay up all night refreshing his phone) and know if he’s headed to his first Masters.

This one-man playoff to enter the first major season was only possible because of Gerard’s travels.

“I had a pretty good year this year and unfortunately I didn’t finish well,” he explained on Friday after his second round. “But the kind folks at OWGR sent me some year-end projections that put me just outside the top 50.

“I thought if I had one more crack at it, I’d give it my best shot and I could hang my hat on giving it my all for the season. Top 50 at the end of the year going into the Masters, so it’s kind of a special kick in the pants to come 10,000 miles from Florida and make it. It wasn’t certain early in the season, but early in the season, in the basket. It’s a really cool, Hope it will be a nice trip.

Gerard isn’t the only player chasing a season at Augusta. Englishman Dan Brown – based in much closer Dubai – also flew to Mauritius, needing a win to secure his place in the top 50. Brown is 11 shots back with two rounds to play, so it’s not looking good.

It won’t be their only chance to qualify for the 2026 Masters, but professional players often take this kind of strenuous route. If there is a chance, no matter how small, they will surely do it. Both will have multiple starts heading into the Masters, and there will be other OWGR ranking opportunities in the coming months. But the earlier you get in, the more freedom you’ll have to plan around that fateful April week.

like Gerard told Q Info on MondayMasters guests can orchestrate early discovery visits to the fabled host site. If Gerard can find that top-4, he’ll have all the time he needs to start planning his Masters plans on those flights back to the States.