Ryan Gerard completed his mission improbable, traveling 10,000 miles, from the U.S. to Mauritius, an island nation in the Indian Ocean in an effort to earn a Masters invitation.

Gerard, 26, needed to a tie for fourth or better in the DP World Tour’s AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open to move from 57th in the Official World Golf Ranking into the top 50 to secure the coveted invitation; all players in the OWGR top 50 at the end of 2025 get spots into Augusta National in April. Having never played in the Masters previously, it was enough of an opportunity for Gerard to make the trip worth it.

Gerard did so by virtue of finishing second, losing in a playoff to Jayden Schaper of South Africa. Gerard, who lives in Jupiter, Fla., had rounds of 68, 69, 63 and 66, a 72-hole score of 22-under par 266 at Heritage La Reserve Golf Links.

Schaper pulled out the title by holing an eagle pitch on the second extra hole to win his second straight DP World Tour event. The Mauritius Open was the last tournament of the year providing World Ranking points, hence his decision to make the arduous trip. 

Earlier this year, Gerard won the PGA Tour’s Barracuda Championship, his first career victory.

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