For Ryan Gerard, it was well worth the 20,000-mile trip.
The 26-year-old American, who won the PGA Tour’s Barracuda Championship in August, did not have a spot in the 2026 Masters. So, in an attempt to change that, he decided to play the DP World Tour’s AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open in Mauritius, a small island roughly 1,250 miles off the eastern coast of Africa.
Gerard entered the event No. 57 in the world rankings, needing to crack the top 50 at the end of 2025 for a tee time at Augusta National Golf Club in April.
Mission accomplished.
After a birdie on the 72nd hole, he lost in a playoff to South Africa’s Jayden Schaper, but will move to No. 46 in the world.
As for Schaper, he won in improbable fashion—again.
The 24-year-old, who birdied three of his last four holes in regulation, holed a pitch shot for eagle on the second extra hole for the victory. It’s his second DPWT win in as many starts, having claimed the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa by making an eagle in a playoff.
JAYDEN SCHAPER CHIPS IN FOR EAGLE TO WIN! #AfrAsiaBankMauritiusOpen pic.twitter.com/aNmTT3OS3X
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) December 21, 2025
This article was originally published on www.si.com as PGA Tour Winner’s Globetrotting Pays Off With Coveted Masters Spot.
