PGA Pro Ryan Gerard joins Anthony Rothman and Matty Ice out at the Memorial Tournament 2025.
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All right, back at Memorial. Our rain still drizzling, but there’s a guy in the house that feels pretty good about his game. Big fan of this kid. 25 years old, a Raleigh kid, UNCC grad, played the PGA in his home state, top 10, all that good stuff. And Ryan Gerard is with us. Nice to have you, my man. Thanks for having me, guys. Appreciate it. Little uh tidy three under 69. I know you you gifted one back at 18 there, but just describe do you first of all, is this garbage to playing or for a pro, is this kind of like, hey, if I’m hitting fairways, I can throw some darts into these greens. It’s more receptive. Do you prefer a softer course or is this kind of trashy to play in? I mean, it’s kind of garbage. Everything you do just gets kind of magnified mistake wise. Uh, I feel like a lot of the shots out there are just kind of really difficult, especially at this golf course. And when you get water on the ball or sand or mud or whatever it could be because of the conditions being uh slightly worse than ideal, um you know, everything kind of goes out the window and you have to be a little bit more careful. And if you hit a bad shot, it just I mean, you’re going to be totally screwed, but good enough that you didn’t need lift clean place, any of that or were you bomb? I’m sure I’m sure some guys are going to be talking about it, but um no, for me selfishly, I’m already in the house. So, I hope it gets gnarly out there for those guys and they they have a rough one this afternoon, but um yeah, the lift clean and place thing, everyone kind of blows it out of proportion. It’s the same thing for every single person that plays. Um sometimes it’s great, sometimes it’s bad, and um you know, over the course of a year or a couple years or hopefully a career, um the the breaks will balance out. So, that’s kind of how you have to look at it. You know, Ar mentioned the PGA and how well you did there and you playing there and Carolina had to be awesome. take us through that weekend and how you ended up with such a strong finish. Yeah. Um I love the golf course that we played the PGA at. Um been fortunate enough to play there a few times throughout uh growing up um college and then in the Wells Fargo or now it’s called the truest a couple years ago. But played was feeling pretty solid about my game. Felt like uh the course set up well for me. I felt really comfortable and there were a bunch of people there rooting me on. So it was a fantastic week. I mean, no, no real complaints. I would have liked to maybe make one or two more putts on the weekend. Uh, but it it was awesome. It was a great great experience. First top 10 in the major and hopefully something to build on for the rest of the year and kind of the next few years. So, you’re a Tarheel. We are smack dab right here in Columbus in one of the hottest football rivalries with Ohio State and Michigan. Talk to us about that basketball rivalry. Tar Hills, Duke, what that was like being a student and going to some of those games. Yeah, I mean it’s it’s as I imagine what the Michigan Ohio State rivalry is. It is just pure like competition. I mean it doesn’t matter how bad either one of the teams are. Usually it’s a pretty hard-fought physical game. I mean the Duke students camp out in tents for months to get a ticket. We’re a little bit luckier. Our stadium or our arena’s a little nicer. Few more seats. So, um, all the all the seniors, you get a ticket guaranteed. If you’re a senior, you get to go, um, to the home game, but I’ve been lucky enough to go a couple times, uh, see a couple wins, see a couple losses. And I just I I see the way the guys on the basketball team when they when they were there at school, how kind of locked in and how competitive they were for those games and how much it meant to them. And um it kind of translates a little bit to the other sports, not quite as much, but it always is nice to beat Duke. It doesn’t matter what. Yeah. Ryan Gerard with us. Uh 369 today. Definitely in the mix, but the difference between the Ohio State Michigan and you guys, you’re 10 miles apart. Like the campuses are so close and on top of each other. Do you get a lot of the the wanderers back and forth? Yeah, you get a little bit of wanders. I’d say on campus proper and maybe around the campus, you see the the right colors kind of aligning themselves, but I actually lived closer to closer to Duke’s campus my uh senior year just the way the apartment complexes worked in the main road. I I was like a 10-minute drive from UNCC’s campus, probably 8 minute drive from from Duke. So, um it it’s it’s really cool that they’re both in that area. Obviously, great academic institutions, but uh I like to get I like to give the boys in dark blue a hard time. Love it, man. Uh we got to talk the headline that is your football program and your new head coach and Bill Bich and his girlfriend as an alum of that university. You notice we didn’t lead with this. How are you feeling about what’s out there about Bellich and Jordan Hudson in the football program right now? You guys are professionals. Just easing me in to say something bad. warm him up with some golf questions and then come in with the right hook. So, I think the the Bill Bich, he he is obviously a really good coach. Um, and I think when it comes to pure coaching and uh getting guys focused and prepared to play games, he’s one of the best to ever kind of do it at those specific things. Um, the donor base is super fired up. Um, I’d say the student body is probably really fired up and you’re going to feel that energy and the financial backing that you probably wouldn’t have with just a another really good candidate coming from another school as an assistant or a head coach. But, um, yeah, there’s definitely distractions like it’s it you you see the headlines, you see all this stuff and you’re like, man, I uh can’t believe that that’s going on. But you I would I’d like to think that they have it figured out and uh once football season rolls around it’ll be about the wins and losses, but I mean you never know, man. It’s it is it is kind of crazy. Listen, it’s getting it’s getting the brand out there. We just hope it lasts. I mean, there’s all this talk about whether he’ll even make it to the season, but uh you know, there was a story that Carolina didn’t want her around. Let’s try to distance it. And then they quieted that and walked it back. But I will take you back to basketball. You were there for the title, right? I missed it by a year. So I was a senior in high school, but I got to uh I got to experience the back end of the title. 17 or I was there I graduated high school in 17. So I got there fall of 17. Um so I saw the uh the run they had to the finals um a couple years later. the Ducks by a point in the final four and then the Zags. Uh I think the final. Yep. And then um No, it was it was awesome to see had a bunch of friends kind of on that team. Um kind of knew knew the guys that played uh in the championship game a couple years later and uh Coach Williams is like one of the best people in my opinion like person-wise, but also just coachwise. And uh yeah, he’s he’s great. He’s been great to me and he’s been great to all the golfers that come from UNCC. Ryan Gerard with us. 369 first Memorial, which is as impressive as anything because usually you have to play at this place a lot of times to get some comfort level, feel what it’s about, but you’re in the mix. So, have you had the milkshake yet or many? I have not had the milkshake. That’s on the agenda for this afternoon. I’ve been trying to be uh on my best behavior. Uh, I’m leaving this course basically every day at like 3, four o’clock in the afternoon. And I feel like a milkshake would just kind of ruin the rest of my day. Maybe maybe need a nap and like push dinner pretty late. So, um, we’re lucky enough that we got enough hours where I feel like I can uh I can afford to take the extra calories and maybe maybe the nap this afternoon. So, you walk seven miles, Brian. I mean, I got my eyes on that Oreo one, man. I don’t even want to know how many calories are in that thing. Don’t ask. Don’t ask. Don’t tell. That’s it. just just get after it. Just get after your game and how you go about it when it comes to maybe guys that you’ve watched in the past or maybe guys on tour right now or is there a guy or two where you’re like I want to take a little bit of that, a little bit of this or is this just you focused on what you can do and you own them. Yeah, I think obviously like you see certain guys hit certain shots and you see the way that certain guys play and it’s very impressive and there’s a lot of uh highly skilled, highly talented individuals. I’m never gonna hit a golf ball like Roy Moy is just from a physical talent and swing standpoint. But you see the way that like Scotty Sheffller manages his game. You see the way he works his irons. Like you see the way that Denny McCarthy putts. like you see all these things and um yeah, it’s very impressive and you try and take little bits and pieces that you think think could help you, but you don’t really want to get caught um looking down the range every single week and trying to copy other guys because um my game was good enough to get me to this point and I think it can get me further and once you start kind of tinkering um you kind of lose what makes you good and uh you might you might lose the things that got you to this point. So, you kind of want to make sure that you’re trying to improve by uh taking small bits and pieces, but not trying to copy or just totally reinvent the wheel because it’s it’s not easy. These guys are really good and if you give up a couple advantages, they’re going to beat you every week. I like it. He’s Ryan Gerard and he is currently tied for 24th here in the middle of the second round and he is plus one on the tournament. Had a beautiful minus three today. So, he’s feeling good. We’re feeling good in having you and so no intimidation factor out here if you’re paired with a who Well, who’s who is the highest ranked guy you have played with? I played with Scotty a couple weeks ago. Okay. So, how did that feel? Um, no, it was awesome. I mean, he’s a really nice guy. Uh, his Caddyy Ted Scott is the man. Uh, the the crowds are always kind of on his side, so you kind of get that chip on your shoulder mentality. But um no, there’s there’s it’s just a lot of extra noise that kind of comes with playing with a guy like him. He’s he’s great and it’s it’s not his fault, but uh once he hits, everyone starts moving. Everyone starts talking. They couldn’t care less that you’re still got a six-footer. So, you just kind of have to really be prepared for it. And uh you know, you see you see a few mug shot T-shirts that make you laugh and you don’t want to let the guys know that you’re you’re laughing at them because then they’ll start egging you on. But it’s No, it’s it’s fantastic. Those guys are awesome and you you want to play against the best, you want to beat the best, you want to be eventually kind of up there with those names. So, uh, you got to get comfortable in those situations. Is Jordan in the in the dream forsome? Is does he get in there as a top Carolina dude or are you Yeah. Would you go actor? If I could give you you and three others, dream dream forsome. I don’t know if I I don’t know if I have the wallet big enough to play Jordan right now. Um there’s I mean he’s got to play for a little action and his little action might be a little bit more than mine. Uh currently I I would say, you know, I’d have to throw my dad in there. Um couple other I’ gosh, I’d have to think about it, but there’s definitely been a couple people, but I’d definitely have to throw my dad in there. Um for sure. Okay. Carolina Panthers, Bryce Young. Are we feeling it? Maybe maybe like a Luke Keegley, Greg Olsen. Okay, there you go. Yeah, kind of kind of an old older school guy. I don’t know if Steve Smith plays golf, but I’d love to pick his brain for a little bit. He’s he’s an entertaining cat, say the least. He’s quite the character. Uh this was great of you to come over, especially in this weather and all that. I hope you have a great afternoon, sleep well, get in the mix, have an awesome time this weekend, and we wish you a lot of luck. We’ll be rooting for you. Yeah, thanks guys. Thanks for having me. Ryan Gerard, stay dry out there. Big dome. Fan interviews for the memorial sponsored by First Bank of Central Ohio. He’s got an Oreo on his mind and he’ll get one cuz he deserves it.
