On Sunday, Ryan Gerard stood on the 18th green at Tahoe Mountain Club’s Old Greenwood course, a par putt away from his first PGA Tour victory. The 25-year-old from Raleigh, North Carolina, tapped in to secure the Barracuda Championship, edging out Erik van Rooyen by three points in the tour’s only Modified Stableford event.
Gerard’s 47-point total, fueled by a final-round 13-point performance, featuring two eagles and four birdies, marked him as the latest unheralded talent to break through on the PGA Tour, claiming a $720,000 prize and a spot in the 2026 PGA Championship.
Gerard’s win at the Barracuda, played opposite Scottie Scheffler’s dominant Open Championship victory at Royal Portrush, was a classic underdog story.
A former University of North Carolina standout, Gerard entered the week as a relative unknown, ranked outside the top 100 in the FedExCup standings, with just four career top-10 finishes. His 47th PGA Tour start was a grind, coming off a grueling six-week stretch that included the U.S. Open and Genesis Scottish Open.
“It’s been a long grind,” Gerard said post-round. “I’ve been playing really good golf, but the scores haven’t always shown it. To end up on top is pretty cool.”
The Barracuda’s unique Modified Stableford format (awarding 8 points for an albatross, 5 for an eagle, 2 for a birdie, 0 for par, -1 for a bogey, and -3 for a double bogey or worse) suits aggressive play, and Gerard seized the opportunity. After sharing the 54-hole lead with Rico Hoey at 34 points, he surged ahead Sunday with two seven-point birdie-eagle bursts on holes 2-3 and 10-11, including a 20-foot eagle putt on the par-5 third and a 35-footer from the fringe on the 11th.
Despite five bogeys, his high-reward shots offset the mistakes, showcasing the resilience that defined his week.
“I just kept believing in myself,” he said, reflecting on a 20-foot flop shot birdie on Saturday’s final hole that gave him a share of the lead.
Gerard’s equipment choices reflected his unconventional approach. His bag included a Titleist GT3 driver, a TaylorMade Qi10 4-wood, and a rare TaylorMade Qi35 9-wood, paired with a Titleist T200 4-iron in a utility build for added height and stopping power on firm greens.
“It gives me more control from 225 yards,” he told Titleist’s media team, a nod to his strategic adaptability.
The Barracuda, co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour, offered a $4 million purse and 300 FedExCup points, crucial for players like Gerard vying for a top-70 spot in the playoffs. His victory, the 11th first-time PGA Tour win of 2025, secured a two-year exemption and a ticket to Quail Hollow for the 2026 PGA Championship, though not the Masters.
“It’s a culmination of a lifetime of work,” Gerard said, his voice thick with emotion. “I can’t tell you how many hours I’ve spent hitting golf balls, dreaming of this.”
Gerard’s path wasn’t without challengers. Erik van Rooyen, the 2021 Barracuda champion, mounted a late charge with a 20-foot eagle on the 15th and a 30-foot birdie on the 18th, finishing at 44 points.
“Mixed emotions,” van Rooyen said. “I fought hard but left some shots out there with the putter.”
England’s Todd Clements posted a 16-point final round to take third at 39 points, while Beau Hossler’s 17-point Sunday tied him for fourth with Max McGreevy and Jacques Kruyswijk at 37.
For Gerard, a former college teammate of Ben Griffin, the win was a validation of his grind. His summer form, featuring three top-10s, hinted at potential, but few saw him outshining a field that included past champions and rising stars.
“I want to say I saw it coming, but you never really know in this game,” he admitted. His decision to skip waiting as an alternate for the Open Championship paid off, as the Barracuda became his launchpad to stardom.
As Scheffler’s shadow loomed large across the Atlantic, Gerard’s triumph in Truckee was a reminder of golf’s depth. The PGA Tour’s “next man up” narrative thrives in events like the Barracuda, where unknowns can become household names overnight.
