“You don’t need to be perfect, you don’t need to overdo things…I’m just going to go out there and play my game.” That’s the mindset Ryan Gerard carries, and look where it’s taken him—right into the mix with the PGA Tour elites. He turned pro in 2022, but his big PGA Tour debut came in 2025. And how’s it going so far? Honestly, better than you’d expect from a newcomer.

At just 25, he’s already flashing signs of brilliance, proving he’s here to stay. Need proof? Just take a look at his standings. As of March 2025, Gerard has teed it up in nine events. No wins yet, but he’s landed in the Top 25 three times, with his best finish coming at the Farmers Insurance Open, where he secured a T15 spot. Not too shabby for a guy going head-to-head with seasoned pros.

But that doesn’t mean he’s never tasted victory…

From college star to PGA Tour contender

Ryan Gerard’s golf journey has been anything but boring. He played college golf at the University of North Carolina from 2019 to 2022, where he teamed up with Ben Griffin and made quite a name for himself. He wasn’t just another name on the roster—he made his mark with a record-tying 15-under-par win at the 2021 Rod Myers Invitational. By the time he graduated, his senior-year scoring average (70.35) was the third-best in UNC history. Safe to say, the guy could play.

Turning pro in 2022, Gerard took a bit of a gamble—he withdrew from a PGA Tour Canada event to chase a U.S. Open spot. And guess what? It worked. He won the Jupiter qualifier and made his major debut at the U.S. Open that year. He missed the cut, but that was just the beginning.

Gerard started grinding on the PGA Tour Canada, where he bagged his first pro win at the 2022 Quebec Open in dominant fashion. His consistency earned him a Korn Ferry Tour card for 2023. Then came his breakout moment—a Monday qualifier into the 2023 Honda Classic, where he stunned everyone with a T4 finish. Then, just a week later, he backed it up with a T11 at the Puerto Rico Open, proving he belonged on the big stage.

That hot run got him a special temporary membership on the PGA Tour, but he couldn’t quite lock in his card for 2024. No worries—Gerard bounced back again, qualifying for the 2023 U.S. Open (this time with back-to-back rounds of 63 and 66), making the cut, and finishing T56 at LACC. Then came his second pro win—a dominant 26-under-par victory at the 2024 BMW Charity Pro-Am, with his dad watching from the crowd. That win sealed his return to the PGA Tour.

But if we’re being honest, golf has always been in his DNA—something he owes to his dad.

The life that shaped Ryan Gerard’s golfing career

Growing up in Raleigh, North Carolina, he had his first set of clubs by the time he was 2, thanks to his dad, Robert, who played college golf at Florida Atlantic. And from that moment on, there was no stopping him. His parents say he’d sneak out of the house whenever he could just to hit balls in the yard.

He gave baseball a shot, but, well… let’s just say his golf instincts got in the way. He kept swinging like he was on the course, which led to way too many strikeouts. Eventually, he realized where his true passion lay and never looked back.

Even as a kid, Gerard loved a challenge. He and his friends used to play “Impossible Chipping Contests” at Wildwood Green Golf Club—basically, they’d give each other the worst possible lies and see who could still get the ball closest to the pin.

Off the course, he’s just like any other guy. A die-hard Carolina Panthers fan, he loves football almost as much as golf. And when he’s not working on his swing, he taps into his creative side—playing both the violin and keyboard.

Are you excited to see how his career on the PGA Tour turns out? Let us know in the comments below.