Ryan Gerard Nails a Bird With a Tee Shot at the Cognizant Classic

I’ll take the cheese with this opener: Randy Johnson would be proud of Ryan Gerard.

During the first round of the Cognizant Classic, Gerard stepped to the tee on the par-3 seventh just hoping to find the dance floor. He did exactly that—but not before his ball clipped a bird almost immediately after impact.

How this thing still found the green is anyone’s guess.

After a torrid start to the season—2nd, T-2, T-11, T-45 and T-28—and with a weaker field at PGA National, Gerard arrived in Palm Beach Gardens as one of the betting favorites. His history at this Florida Swing stop only added fuel: fourth here in 2023, T-25 a year ago.

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And yet, through 11 holes Thursday, he was already 2-over and scrambling, finding trouble from just about everywhere.

Still, there’s plenty of golf left. If he’s going to make it six straight cuts to open the season, it might take a little more chaos—hopefully the good kind.

And for those of you concerned about the bird, good news from Smylie Kaufman!