It was a banner 48 hours for the UNC men’s golf program. Rising senior Austin Greaser and recent graduate Ryan Gerard each notched tournament wins over the weekend: Greaser took a victory in the Western Amateur at the Exmoor Country Club in Illinois, and Gerard led wire-to-wire at the Quebec Open to earn his first career win on the PGA Tour Canada.

Greaser’s win came in a dramatic final round of match play. Facing Mateo Fernandez de Oliveria, Greaser twice faced two-hole deficits during the round, but won four straight holes on the back nine to rally. A 25-foot birdie put on hole 12 got Greaser to within a hole of the lead, and wins on 13, 14 and 15 catapulted him in front by two. Despite losing hole 17, Greaser made par on 18 to match Fernandez de Oliveira and win the title.

It capped a comeback weekend for Greaser, who sat in 15th place after four rounds of stroke play and only qualified for match play by advancing out of a seven-man playoff. He was seeded 15th in the 16-man match play bracket, but nonetheless advanced to the championship.

“This is what you prepare for, this is what you practice for, this is what you dream of,” Greaser said after his win. “I think I’m going to have to get some sleep before it hits me what happened this week, because I am exhausted.”

Greaser, who lost in the semifinals of the Western Amateur last year, joins a prestigious list of champions in the 120-year-old event, one of the oldest amateur tournaments in the world. Past winners include Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and three other UNC alumni: Greg Parker, John Inman and Frank Fuhrer.

Greaser fought back tears in his post-match interview before raising the trophy with his twin brother Byron, who caddied for him during the tournament.

Gerard’s win in Quebec traded in drama for dominance. Gerard led wire-to-wire over four rounds at the Club de Golf Le Blainvillier in Blainville, Quebec. He shot in the 60s in each of the first three rounds, including a 65 in the first. His opening-round masterpiece included four birdies in the first eight holes.

Gerard shot a 66 in the third round, which included a run of three birdies and an eagle in the span of five holes. He sat at 17-under par after 54 holes and four shots ahead of second place. The 2022 UNC graduate wasn’t as sharp on the final day, shooting 1-over and holding on for dear life as several challengers charged into contention. Still, Gerard never gave up the lead, finishing at 16-under par and winning by a stroke. He only made six bogeys in 72 holes, three of which came on Sunday.

“I just really played solid and did exactly what I needed to do,” Gerard said after Saturday’s third round.

His win is only the second wire-to-wire run on the PGA Tour Canada in the last five years.

 

Featured image via Western Amateur

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