HONDA CLASSIC

February 26, 2023

Ryan Gerard

PGA National Resort

Quick Quotes

Q. Ryan, great week. Just your thoughts on how everything went, not just today but all four days.

RYAN GERARD: Yeah, I played really solid all week. I feel like I learned a lot about myself as a player, how to mentally handle myself in front of big crowds, and just kind of getting that feel of competition at the next level. I feel like those are all positives I can take away from the week. I'm thrilled with the finish. I'm thrilled with the opportunities that I get because of it hopefully, and just got to keep grinding and see what happens.

Q. What was your mindset coming into today's round?

RYAN GERARD: I mean, I didn't really feel like I had my best stuff yesterday, and it was a little bit unfortunate. But I just wanted to mentally reset it. I've been playing well. I figured, why not come out here and just have some fun. I did.

That was always key number one, and from then on, it was just try and put good shots together, make good, committed swings. A lot of stuff can go wrong out here if you aren't committed to it, so I just tried to do that all day, and I was. Added them up at the end, and unfortunately I maybe mis-hit a 3-iron on the last hole, but besides that, it was pretty solid.

Q. You talk about the goal being fun today. Being in the mix on Sunday in a TOUR event, the crowds, how fun was it?

RYAN GERARD: It was unbelievable. It's everything you could dream of. When you're a kid practicing at night on a putting green, you're like, I have this putt to win a PGA TOUR event. It's funny to say because I was just there four or five years ago in high school thinking about it, and now -- I never had a putt to win, but I kind of felt like I had a chance coming down the stretch if I put some stuff together.

Even just hitting good shots, you can build confidence on that going to the future. Every time you have an opportunity where there's pressure or where you feel like you might be in a situation to do something, you learn a lot about yourself as a person and as a player, and I think that's something that you can grow from and that I can take myself and use it to help me play better in the future.

Q. What's the biggest thing you think -- you talk about learning here. What do you think the biggest thing you'll pull from this?

RYAN GERARD: I think a couple things. I think the biggest first thing is that I can play out here. I have the game that translates out here if I play well. Maybe not every week, maybe not every course right now, but one day I believe that I can play and win out on the PGA TOUR. That is a very important thing for me confidence-wise.

Then everything else is just learning certain things about when there's camera crews moving or when there's spectators and just kind of the small things that -- how to play a practice round when you only have a certain amount of time or just little things that kind of go throughout the week, dealing with tickets, dealing with people trying to get your attention, kind of staying locked in. There's a lot of just little things that kind of add up that if you're not out here -- well, I'm new to it, so if you're not out here, you don't really think about it. Everything eats away at your concentration, and you just have to really refocus back in and try and stay positive and make sure that when you're ready to hit the shot, you're ready to hit the shot.

Q. You guys are in the middle of a five-week break from the tour that you've been playing. What were you going to do with the five weeks?

RYAN GERARD: Well, I was just going to play golf. Whether it was a Monday qualifier or whether it was out here or just hanging out with my buddies. I was always just going to play golf. There's always an opportunity to get better. There's always an opportunity to learn. I love playing golf, so whether it's out here or just hanging out at home, it's obviously better out here, but just getting ready for the next couple Korn Ferry events.

Q. You finished T45 at Korn Ferry Q-school back in November, so barely getting those eight guaranteed KFT starts and now you're here. Did you expect that?

RYAN GERARD: Yeah, I have high expectations for myself. I have lofty goals. I see a lot when I'm practicing at home, and I see a lot about myself when I'm on the course, and I see what other guys are doing, and I believe that I have the ability and the opportunity to put something together that's special.

I did that this week for the most part. There's stuff to clean up always, but I think just missing out by one at Korn Ferry Q-school kind of lit a fire under me because I didn't have guaranteed starts. I didn't have anything that was guaranteed or given to me, so I knew that I had to take advantage of the tournaments that I was going to get in, and I did that. I believe I could play the rest of the year out there if it comes to it, and hopefully I'm out here the rest of the year, but no offense to the Korn Ferry TOUR, I love all you guys.

But I think I'm in a good spot just mentally and where my game is and just trying to keep it going.

Q. A little change in plans for you?

RYAN GERARD: Yeah, definitely. I've got to go book some flights and hotel rooms, swipe the credit card. We'll see what happens.

Q. What do you credit this to?

RYAN GERARD: I mean, a lot of things. I think my parents have always been really supportive of me, given me the opportunity to get to this spot. My college coaches, my teammates, everyone that supports me, my team kind of around me. There's a lot of people behind the scenes that help each individual player kind of reach their potential, and I don't think I'm quite all the way there yet, but I've definitely seen a noticeable increase in my play since I turned professional just because I've invested in myself. I've invested in the guys around me and just trying to make myself the best player I can be at the moment and continue to get better.

Q. What is it like having someone like Ben cheer you on who's made it to the TOUR, now you're out here making it?

RYAN GERARD: Well, Ben obviously is a great player, and he's an even better guy, and I'm not just saying that because he's standing there looking at me. But it's cool to see someone that you grew up playing with right down the road from you that was your teammate, to see them make it all the way here and to kind of let that be a guide for you and let that be an inspiration for me to make it out here. We need more light blue out on this TOUR. There's way too many Clemson guys and all sorts of other stuff going on, too.

I think that's also a big key.

Q. What's the next step? What's it from here?

RYAN GERARD: Just play golf. I mean, we're going to have fun next week in Puerto Rico. Never been there. I hear it's great, so I guess we'll find out. If not, I'll play some more Mondays, maybe play Korn Ferry. It's kind of all up in the air. Just got to play better.