American golfer Ryan Gerard is the talk of the 2025 PGA Championship. Gerard, 25, found himself at the top of the leaderboard after the opening round of the tournament on Thursday, May 15, an impressive feat in a stacked field that includes names like Rory McIlroy,

Ryan Gerard grew up on public golf courses in the Raleigh area, went to UNC and leads the field into Day 2 at Quail Hollow. Alex Smalley, another NC kid, is tied for second.

The last time the PGA Championship came to Quail Hollow Club, in 2017, Ryan Gerard was moving into his freshman dorm at North Carolina. Six months later, Gerard and his Tar Heel teammates found themselves standing on Quail’s 18th tee for what seemed like the hundredth time.