Ryan Gerard, a 25-year-old former North Carolina player, showcased his golfing prowess during the latest tournament, co-leading with Rico Hoey after an impressive final hole. Gerard’s round ended with an incredible 20-foot flop shot for birdie on the last hole. This beautiful eagle put Sanders atop the overall leaderboard, where he is now tied with 29-year-old Hoey.
Gerard has an astounding 34 points scored in the tournament. It marks quite the turnaround, as he placed fifth in the same event two years back. His recent form is very encouraging. In back-to-back races on the short dirt Texas tracks earlier this past April, he earned ninth and second place finishes.
Supporting cast Hoey, the second-round leader, struggled out of the gate before getting a hot putter to take him into contention on moving day.
“I struggled early but kind of caught fire on the back, so it was nice to end that way,” – Rico Hoey
Hoey’s impressive finish moved him to join Gerard atop the leaderboard with 34 points, too. And finally, Tom Vaillant from France is shaking things up in the competition. He has now totalled 32 points having just completed a mega nine-point day! Vaillant had an enormous sophomore season, but the most important factor to him was being consistent in his play.
“Just staying steady as much as I can and trying to avoid mistakes,” – Tom Vaillant
Former tournament champion Erik van Rooyen, who won the tournament in 2021, is still in the mix on 33 points. His experience will make for a compelling new twist to the leaderboard as the race continues.
Gerard was excited with how he performed, especially with the importance of his last shot.
“I hit a great shot and was lucky that it found the hole,” – Ryan Gerard
As the tournament progresses, everyone’s attention will be turned to Gerard and Hoey. If they do, they’ll have to guide themselves through the final rounds while warding off stiff competition from Vaillant and van Rooyen. The competition is fierce, and every competitor’s performance will be vital in deciding who goes home with the prize.
Leave a Reply