Ryan Gerard wins the Barracuda
Championship for his first PGA Tour title
[July 21, 2025]
TRUCKEE, Calif. (AP) — 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 British 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.
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“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.
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