Ryan Gerard’s First Masters: Episode IV

Ryan Gerard posted a 4-under 68 on Saturday at the 2026 Masters, a day that looked like it might play difficult but ended up much friendlier than many expected, including Gerard. 

“It wasn't playing that difficult, but you could still get in trouble if you didn't hit a good shot,” he said after the round. “I'm a little surprised by how low the scores are, considering where I thought it was going to be and the color of some of these greens, but (there’s) not a whole lot of wind. I hit it nicely and kind of took advantage of the opportunities that I got.” 

Ryan’s round was mostly clean and straightforward. One of his few misfires, however, came early in the round on the fifth hole. After birdies on Nos. 2 and 3, he hung a tee shot out right on No. 5 that found a bush. He took an unplayable and ultimately salvaged bogey with a quality shot from the back greenside bunker. 

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Later in the round, he reeled off three straight birdies on Nos. 13-15: one after laying up on 13 and pitching a delicate 55-yard wedge to 10 feet to a tough hole location on the back shelf, and another after a precise chip to two feet on No. 15 following an aggressive approach on his second shot. 

“It's difficult to not go for the green on 15 because the wedge shot is so hard, but if there was a time to lay up, it would be today,” he said of his second nine par-5 strategy. “I just had a really good club in, and I knew exactly where I was looking. I was looking right at that right bunker. I felt very confident that if I hit it in that bunker or anywhere just right of that bunker, even in the grandstand, it was an easy up-and-down."

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Heading to the 17th tee at 5 under, Gerard was in prime position to climb near the top 10 entering the final round. He wiped a tee shot right on 17 that struck a tree and rolled back down the hill about 70 yards, leaving 228 yards in. Despite the poor tee shot, he still managed to save par. On No. 18, he again missed right, putting his tee shot near a tree, and eventually left a 14-foot par attempt just short, and tapped in for 68. 

“I probably hit the tee shots on 17 and 18 combined less than, like, Aldrich Potgieter's average drive for the year,” he laughed. “That makes you feel good.

“I was just kind of getting a little stuck and wiping it a little bit on the last two holes. I just didn't really turn hard through it on 18, because I didn't want to push it or overcorrect from 17. Just kind of a couple of weird ones, but we'll go hit a couple on the range and see if we can get it straightened out.” 

Beyond a shot-by-shot breakdown of his round, I was eager for Gerard’s perspective on the galleries now that he’d experienced three rounds of a tournament where patrons aren’t allowed to bring their phones inside the gates. 

“I would say people are a lot more locked in on what's going on,” he said. “I think in general the group of fans out here is probably a little bit more seasoned and experienced than a WM Phoenix Open. They cultivate a really nice culture out here where people are enjoying the golf, rooting for the right people, and just going out there and enjoying the day. It's not as much of trying to yell something in someone's back swing to get it online or something…

“I don't know for sure, but I would assume if you acted like an idiot, they would kind of take care of that quickly.” 

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Headed into Sunday’s final round, Gerard is tied for 15th — just two shots outside the top 10 and seven back of the lead, a much smaller gap than the 12-shot deficit he faced entering Saturday.

“I'll be happy if I shoot 59,” he joked when asked what would make a successful Sunday. “No, I think if I go out and just kind of continue doing what I've done the last few days and stack a nice round together, I'd love to get in the top 10, top 8 would be a realistic goal. 

“I have a feeling it's going to play tougher. I've said that every day, and it just hasn't really materialized yet. So maybe I'll be right one of these times. 

“If I go out and just keep the ball in front of me, do what I've been doing, and just get maybe one or two putts to fall, it will be a solid day and it will be a great week. We're going to go out there and have fun with it, but take advantage of the opportunities and try and post a decent one on the final day to maybe back door like a top fove or something.”

Gerard tees off at 12:57 p.m. ET alongside Xander Schauffele.

‍Ryan Gerard has generously agreed to take us along on his journey as he competes in his first Masters Tournament. You can read about the lead-up to his tournament in Episode I, his first round in Episode II, and his second round in Episode III.