It has been a long stretch without PGA Tour golf, but the 2026 season is nearly here, and the anticipation has been building since the Tour Championship wrapped up in August.
The return of competitive play also means attention will soon turn to Augusta National, with the Masters Tournament not far off.
Rory McIlroy’s bid for a second consecutive green jacket will no doubt be a major topic of discussion as the build-up begins.
This year will also see several newcomers making their first trip down Magnolia Lane.
Ryan Gerard accepts his Masters invite
Ryan Gerard, already a PGA Tour winner, made the trip to Africa last week for the Mauritius Open on the DP World Tour.
The field was not particularly deep and the prize money was not huge either, so some fans might have wondered why he made the trip.
Gerard was ranked 56th in the Official World Golf Ranking before that event. So he had good reason to go.
With no more tournaments left in 2025, this was his final opportunity to break into the top 50 of the OWGR.
That is a key number because players inside the top 50 at year’s end automatically qualify for The Masters in April.
Gerard said before play began: “That’s the reason I flew a long way to come here and hopefully punch a ticket to The Masters. That’s the goal.”
“Competing in pressure situations are the most fun you can have as a professional golfer. I’m someone who loves competing and hates losing.”
The 26-year-old nearly claimed victory, falling short only after losing a playoff hole to South African Jayden Schaper.
But even without taking home the win, Gerard did enough by climbing up to 46th in world rankings.
Masters debut winners: who has done it before?
Gerard will be aiming to join an exclusive club as only three players have won The Masters on their first appearance.
Horton Smith did it first in 1934, although that year marked the tournament’s inaugural edition.
Gene Sarazen followed a year later, highlighted by his famous double eagle on the 15th during the final round.
But it was Fuzzy Zoeller’s win in 1979 that stands out most, given The Masters had already grown into one of golf’s premier events by then.
Zoeller secured his debut victory over Tom Watson and Ed Sneed in a playoff, which also marked the first of his two major wins.
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