Who is Ryan Gerard? The PGA Tour player making his mark at Quail Hollow

Ryan Gerard at the RBC Heritage Tournament

Ryan Gerard has quickly risen from childhood golf prodigy to one of the PGA Tour’s most promising young talents.

At just 25 years old, Raleigh‑born Ryan Gerard was inspired by his father, a former collegiate golfer, and he first picked up a club at age two. After honing his game at the University of North Carolina, he turned professional in 2022 and has already notched multiple wins across PGA Tour Canada, the Korn Ferry Tour, and on the PGA Tour itself, most recently storming up the leaderboard on the first day of the 2025 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow.

This is everything you need to know about Ryan Gerard.

Raleigh Roots

Born in 1999, Gerard grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina, where his father Robert – who played golf at Florida Atlantic University – introduced him to the game as a toddler.

Gerard enrolled at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill in 2019, and tied the school record with a 15‑under‑par victory at the 2021 Rod Myers Invitational. He graduated in 2022 with an impressive senior‑year scoring average of 70.35, the third‑best mark in the programmes history.

Turning Professional

Gerard turned pro immediately after graduation, kicking off his career on the PGA Tour of Canada. He secured his first professional victory at the 2022 Quebec Open, then rounded off the season with strong finishes to earn Korn Ferry Tour status for 2023.

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After qualifying for the 2023 Honda Classic, Gerard shot into the spotlight with a tied‑4th finish at PGA National Resort, earning Special Temporary Membership on the PGA Tour. He closed out the year with a T11 at the Puerto Rico Open and a T56 at the 2023 U.S. Open.

Gerard’s second Korn Ferry Tour season peaked with a dominant 26‑under‑par victory at the BMW Charity Pro‑Am, winning by six strokes. He regained PGA Tour Membership for the 2024 season, and ended the year ranked 206 in the Official World Golf Rankings.

Gerard has played 14 tournaments in 2025 so far, and only missed the cut in two of them. He’s finished inside the top 25 in six tournaments, had two top-ten finishes, and was runner up at the Valero Texas Open, helping him to climb the rankings to sit at number 80 in the world. A huge climb in less than six months!

Off the Course

Gerard is self‑taught violinist and keyboard player, is a die‑hard Carolina Panthers supporter, and resides in Jupiter, Florida during the tour season.

A Titleist staff player, he trusts the Pro V1 ball alongside a full bag of Titleist irons and woods – a setup he credits with bolstering his confidence in competition.

Ryan Gerard’s journey makes him one of the sport’s most compelling young figures. As he continues to add experience and victories, the world will be watching to see how far this prodigy can go.