Gerard birdies his way to Québec Open lead

BLAINVILLE, Québec —Ryan Gerard wasn’t going to let a little rain and wind curb his determination. The former University of North Carolina standout, a rookie on PGA TOUR Canada, was quite frustrated about missing the cut last week at the Sotheby’s International Realty Canada Ontario Open.

“I put in a little extra effort; went out and made sure I was as sharp as I could be,” said Gerard of his pre-tournament prep on his way to shooting a 7-under 65 to take sole possession of the lead at the Québec Open on Thursday. “I just tried to focus in a little more, and I think that worked pretty well in my favor today. Hopefully I’ll keep it going for the rest of the week.”

Gerard made eight birdies and had just one bogey in pulling ahead of the field at Club de Golf Le Blainvillier. He credits work on his putting, in particular a switch back to a putter he was more comfortable with, as well as a lot of time on the greens for his success. Starting his day playing the back nine, the 22-year-old made a 20-foot putt on No. 7, the first of back-to-back putts, to close out his round.

“It took a bounce I wasn’t expecting and ended up a little farther away,” Gerard said. “That’s probably the best putt I’ve hit in the last month or so.”

His other putts, even ones that didn’t go in, had good speed and lines.

“So, I felt really good about that,” continued Gerard.

Patience is also something Gerard is putting stock in this week. Especially, he noted, when playing conditions weren’t ideal.

“You’ve got to really pick your spots and make good decisions. Otherwise, you are going to have a tough time,” Gerard said. “I felt like I just really stuck to my plan well and executed when I had my opportunities. It seemed to work out pretty well.”

Gerard holds a one-stroke lead over Bryce Hendrix, Van Holmgren and Mitchell Schow, who are all at 6-under.

“It was a fun day,” said Holmgren, who matched Gerard with eight birdies. “The ball-striking was on.”

Tristan Mandur and Zack Taylor are 5-under and tied for fifth place.

Joey Savoie, Brandon Lacasse and Etienne Papineau, who are all from Québec, had solid showings in their home province. Savoie and Lacasse finished 4-under, while Papineau was 2-under.

“It was really fun to play in front of friends and family. I think Golf Quebec and PGA TOUR Canada have done a really nice job this week,” Savoie said. “It feels good to play at home. I haven’t had the chance the last two years.”

Savoie, who started on the back nine, birdied six of his first eight holes and added another shortly after.

“I started on fire today,” said Savoie, who cooled off down the stretch, with three consecutive bogeys before a birdie to cap off things.

The latter, he explained, brought back some needed momentum heading into Friday. Savoie also emphasized how special it is to have family and friends providing support.

Papineau, a native of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, agrees.

“It was good,” he said. “It was fun to have them around watching me play. It’s been a long time.”