Latest news with #Gerard
Newsweek
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
PGA Tour Winner Playfully Asks For Compensation Over $720K Text To Colleague
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Two days before the start of The Open Championship, Ryan Gerard was on American soil, hesitating whether to make the last-minute trip to Northern Ireland. Ultimately, the advice of a friend convinced him to stay and play the Barracuda Championship, where he ended up winning the title. Gerard's initial hesitation was certainly justified, as he was the second alternate for the Open. It was his friend and two-time PGA Tour winner, Ben Griffin, who persuaded him to back down with a text message that would ultimately change his life. The story was revealed by Griffin himself ahead of this week's Wyndham Championship. "I think anyone would have responded kind of the same way I did to Ryan (Gerard)," Griffin said, according to the transcripts of his pre-tournament presser, "because he sent the text to both me and my caddie, like 'Hey, I'm second alternate, should I come over there?' I mean, it was Tuesday, the answer's no." "Go focus on trying to win that (the Barracuda Championship), don't even, like, look at the leaderboard, don't pay attention to anything, just focus on your tournament and what you're trying to accomplish. I think any other golfer would have said that, it just so happens that me and Ryan are close and so he texts me." Ben Griffin of the United States plays his shot from the 18th tee on day four of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans on April 27, 2025 in Avondale, Louisiana. Ben Griffin of the United States plays his shot from the 18th tee on day four of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans on April 27, 2025 in Avondale, is having the best season of his career, with two wins and more than $8 million in earnings so far. However, he didn't miss the opportunity of joking about being compensated for his role in Gerard's victory, even though, as he said, it was advice that anyone in his place would have given. "Just 50% of his earnings, is all," he joked, according to the transcripts. "I still haven't received anything. I've been looking on Zelle and Wells Fargo and Merrill accounts, nothing's hit yet ... I'll take the credit I guess." Griffin's analysis of his friend's advice turned out to be correct. There weren't any last-minute withdrawals before The Open Championship, so Gerard's big trip would have been for nothing. Gerard played his best golf at the Barracuda Championship, winning his first PGA Tour title. It also earned him a $720,000 paycheck, one of the largest of his career. The 25-year-old had been eying a breakthrough finish all season, adding a second-place finish and two more top-10 finishes to his victory. More Golf: Former Ryder Cup Star Storms Back Into Pro Golf, Rejects Paycheck
Observer
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Observer
Gerard holds off Van Rooyen to win Barracuda title
LOS ANGELES, United States: Ryan Gerard held off South African Erik van Rooyen down the back nine on Sunday to win the Barracuda Championship for his first US PGA Tour title. The 25-year-old American, whose best career finish had been a runner-up effort at this year's Texas Open, eagled twice in the final round for the victory. "It's just like a culmination of a lifetime of work," Gerard said. "I can't tell you how many hours I've spent hitting golf balls dreaming of winning on the PGA Tour. It's really special." Gerard edged Van Rooyen 47-44 under the Modified Stableford scoring system to capture the event at Tahoe Mountain Club in Truckee, California. Under the unique scoring format, an albatross is worth eight points, an eagle five and a birdie two. Pars are no points while a bogey is minus-one point and any worse score is minus-three points. The tournament was played opposite the British Open, where top-ranked Scottie Scheffler won his fourth career major title and second major crown of the year. Gerard, who shared the 54-hole lead on 34 points, added 13 points in the last round with two eagles, four birdies and five bogeys. "I've been playing a lot of really good golf," Gerard said. "I've felt like I haven't been getting the scores out of the shots that I've hit and it has been a long time, a long grind. Yeah, it's pretty cool that I end up on top." Van Rooyen, whose first PGA victory was at the 2021 Barracuda, settled for his second runner-up finish of the year after the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in May. Filipino standout Rico Hoey and Gerard shared the 54-hole lead, but Hoey stumbled back with a double bogey-bogey start. Gerard birdied the second hole and eagled the third, and answered bogeys at the fourth and fifth with a birdie at the seventh to stand on 41 with his nearest rival on the course, Van Rooyen, seven adrift. After both birdied the 10th, Van Rooyen chipped in for birdie at 11. Gerard, however, answered at 11 when, after getting relief from a sprinkler head in his stance that let him move his ball to the fringe, he curled in a long eagle putt to reach 48 points, 10 ahead of Van Rooyen. Gerard made bogeys at 12 and 13 but responded with a birdie at 14 while Van Rooyen made bogey at 14 but eagled the par-five 15th to pull within six. When Gerard made a three-putt bogey at the par-three 16th, his lead was down to 47-42. Van Rooyen sank a birdie from the fringe at the 18 to climb within 47-44, but Gerard tapped in at 18 for par and the victory. — AFP
NBC Sports
21-07-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Ryan Gerard wins Barracuda Championship for his first PGA Tour title
Watch the best shots and moments from the fourth and final round of the 2025 Barracuda Championship from Tahoe Mountain Club (Old Greenwood) in Truckee, California. TRUCKEE, Calif. — Ryan Gerard had two seven-point, birdie-eagle bursts and overcame five bogeys to win the Barracuda Championship on Sunday for his first PGA Tour victory. In breezy conditions at Tahoe Mountain Club in the only PGA Tour event that uses the modified Stableford scoring system, Gerard followed a two-point birdie with a five-point eagle on Nos. 2-3 and 10-11. The 25-year-old former North Carolina player had a 13-point round to finish with 47 points for a three-point victory over 2021 winner Erik van Rooyen of South Africa. Gerard fell short of van Rooyen's tournament record of 50 points. 'Been playing a lot of really good golf,' Gerard said. 'Felt like I haven't been quite getting the scores out of the shots that I've hit. It's been a long time being a long grind, and it's pretty cool to end up on top.' Fifth in the event two years ago, Gerard won in his 47th PGA Tour start to become the 999th winner in tour history. 'It's just like a culmination of a lifetime of work,' Gerard said. 'I can't tell you how many hours I've spent hitting golf balls dreaming of winning on the PGA Tour. Yeah, it's really special.' Played opposite The Open, the tournament was co-sanctioned by the European tour. With the victory, Gerard received a spot in the PGA Championship next year but not the Masters. Van Rooyen had an 11-point day. He made a 20-foot eagle putt on the par-5 15th and a 30-footer for birdie on the par-4 18th. 'Mixed emotions,' van Rooyen said. 'Really happy with how I fought. Left some shots out there the last few days unfortunately with the putter, but can't expect to make everything, right? So maybe I'm a bit too hard on myself.' Todd Clements of England was third with 39 points after a 16-point round. Beau Hossler scored 17 points Sunday to tie for fourth at 37 with Max McGreevy (16) and Jacques Kruyswijk (10). Tied for the third-round lead with Rico Hoey, Gerard made a 20-foot eagle putt on the par-5 third and holed a 35-footer from the fringe on the par-5 11th. On the 11th, he hit his approach into the rough, but was allowed to take relief and move his ball to the fringe because of a sprinkler head. Gerard followed both seven-point runs with consecutive bogeys - with a point deducted for bogey - and missed a 3-footer on 16 for a three-putt bogey. The winner made a 5-foot birdie putt on 14 to get back the points he lost with the bogeys on the previous two holes. He also quickly canceled out the consecutive front-nine bogeys with a birdie on No. 7. Gerard played for the sixth straight week - a string that began with the U.S. Open and took him to Scotland last week. He was ninth and second in consecutive events in Texas in April. Hoey tied for eighth at 34 after a scoreless round.
New Straits Times
21-07-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Gerard holds off Van Rooyen to win PGA Barracuda title
LOS ANGELE: Ryan Gerard held off South African Erik van Rooyen down the back nine yesterday to win the Barracuda Championship for his first US PGA Tour title. The 25-year-old American, whose best career finish had been a runner-up effort at this year's Texas Open, eagled twice in the final round for the victory. "It's just like a culmination of a lifetime of work," Gerard said. "I can't tell you how many hours I've spent hitting golf balls dreaming of winning on the PGA Tour. It's really special." Gerard edged Van Rooyen 47-44 under the Modified Stableford scoring system to capture the event at Tahoe Mountain Club in Truckee, California. Under the unique scoring format, an albatross is worth eight points, an eagle five and a birdie two. Pars are no points while a bogey is minus-one point and any worse score is minus-three points. The tournament was played opposite the British Open, where top-ranked Scottie Scheffler won his fourth career major title and second major crown of the year. Gerard, who shared the 54-hole lead on 34 points, added 13 points in the last round with two eagles, four birdies and five bogeys. "I've been playing a lot of really good golf," Gerard said. "I've felt like I haven't been getting the scores out of the shots that I've hit and it has been a long time, a long grind. Yeah, it's pretty cool that I end up on top." Van Rooyen, whose first PGA victory was at the 2021 Barracuda, settled for his second runner-up finish of the year after the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in May. Filipino standout Rico Hoey and Gerard shared the 54-hole lead, but Hoey stumbled back with a double bogey-bogey start. Gerard birdied the second hole and eagled the third, and answered bogeys at the fourth and fifth with a birdie at the seventh to stand on 41 with his nearest rival on the course, Van Rooyen, seven adrift. After both birdied the 10th, Van Rooyen chipped in for birdie at 11. Gerard, however, answered at 11 when, after getting relief from a sprinkler head in his stance that let him move his ball to the fringe, he curled in a long eagle putt to reach 48 points, 10 ahead of Van Rooyen. Gerard made bogeys at 12 and 13 but responded with a birdie at 14 while Van Rooyen made bogey at 14 but eagled the par-five 15th to pull within six. When Gerard made a three-putt bogey at the par-three 16th, his lead was down to 47-42. Van Rooyen sank a birdie from the fringe at the 18 to climb within 47-44, but Gerard tapped in at 18 for par and the victory.
RTÉ News
21-07-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Ryan Gerard claims Barracuda Championship glory
American Ryan Gerard has won the Barracuda Championship in California. The event is the only tournament on the PGA Tour that uses the modified Stableford scoring system, which awards points based on the number of strokes taken at each hole. Gerard, who took home his maiden PGA Tour title, finished three clear of Erik van Rooyen with a total of 47 points. The 25-year-old made a birdie on the second hole, followed by an eagle on the third, then repeated the birdie–eagle run on holes 10 and 11, giving him a huge boost on the scoreboard. Gerard later said the win was the realisation of a lifelong dream. "It's a culmination of a lifetime of work," he told "I can't tell you how many hours I've spent hitting golf balls, dreaming of winning on the PGA tour, and it's really special." Englishman Todd Clements finished third on Sunday, Beau Hossler tied for fourth alongside Max McGreevy and Jacques Kruyswijk.
