Media Center Interviews
April 6, 2025
Final Round Interview with Ryan Gerard
Q. Ryan, you must be over the moon with how you played today, 69 in these conditions. Just what was working well for you?
RYAN GERARD: Yeah, I just really was trying to be scrappy out there. I didn't hit it very well at all, but my caddie just kept it in spots that I felt like I had a chance from, either with a lot of green to work with or kind of back into the wind. You feel like you're never really out of it if you can kind of use the wind as a backstop. I just really grinded hard. My chipping and putting was really good, but I just kind of kept it in play. Yeah, it was not easy out there.
Q. How much of a premium is there on that short game around the greens when it's blowing like that out there and the greens are so firm?
RYAN GERARD: A lot. I mean, even if you're striping it, you're probably going to miss some greens whether it just be some wind gusts or some weird angles. This course is not easy without the wind, so you've just got to really be prepared for whatever it might give you and just try and take it as it comes and just be positive all day. It's really easy to get out there and just kind of get mad that things aren't going your way, but you've just got to keep your head down and grind it out.
Q. You had a top10 finish last week, you're looking pretty good right now, maybe even to finish in the top5. Just how do you feel about your game right now? What's working well for you overall?
RYAN GERARD: It's kind of weird because this week was completely different from last week. Last week I hit it really good and this week I didn't. I just feel really comfortable. Just a lot of these golf courses, this is my second time seeing 'em. I feel like my game's kind of my floor has gotten a lot higher. My bad weeks, I can still salvage, just kind of get something out of, and my good weeks, when things start working, it's good.
Just going to try and build on that. Go home and work on a few things and hopefully hit it better the next time I tee it up. Yeah, I'm really pleased in general, just two solid finishes back to back weeks, completely different ways.
Q. Last one from me, you had to grind it out on the Korn Ferry Tour last year to get your card back for this season. What did that experience coming back down to the Korn Ferry Tour and earning your way back to the PGA TOUR teach you about this game and about yourself?
RYAN GERARD: It taught me a lot. There's a lot of really good players out there and not all of them play on the PGA TOUR. There's a lot that play on the Korn Ferry and there's a lot that play even on levels below that.
I didn't have the right attitude at the beginning of the year last year. I was kind of upset at myself, I felt like I was kind of doing myself a disservice by going back down there. Had to really kind of shift the mindset and go earn it. You know, once I did that, everything kind of started clicking a little bit more.
But it is a lot sweeter when you earn it. I kind of lucked into it the first time and the second time I earned it. I think I'm more prepared to be back here and I'm better suited for it now.
Q. Ryan, you talked about your short game already today but can you go through the upanddown on 12 today in the trees? That was pretty crazy.
RYAN GERARD: Yeah, so I hit it way right off the tee. I don't really know how it got to where it got to, but I had a pretty cleanish shot. There were some rocks, but for the most part it was a really clean look.
I just, just hit it straight into the air. Got into a spot where there aren't a lot of options. I actually saw a couple people like I think I forget who I was playing with last week, but I saw someone literally pull it off last week, kind of run one through a bunker. The only thought was hit it hard enough that it gives it a chance to pop up because if it doesn't, it doesn't.
No, I hit it, I just kind of backfooted a 7-iron from 35 yards away and just tried to rip it into the lip. I hit it exactly where I wanted to. You try to aim like about a foot, 18 inches below the lip of the bunker because it has a chance to skip up if you hit it right into the lip, it's going to stay there. But I hit it right where I wanted to, hit it hard and it kind of all worked out.
And that's a one-in-a-million shot, like I'll never hit that shot again in my life and have it work out the way it did. It's probably the best upanddown of my career and given the circumstance and everything, yeah, really good shot, really lucky, extremely pleased with the outcome.
