Ryan Gerard Hits a Bird at Cognizant Classic, What Happened Next Stunned Fans

Feb 27, 2026, 2:23 AM CUT

BMW PGA, Golf Herren Championship 2025 Ryan Gerard USA on the 2nd tee during Round 4 of the BMW PGA Championship 2025, Wentworth Club, Virginia Water, Surrey, England. 14/09/2025 Picture: Golffile Thos Caffrey All photo usage must carry mandatory copyright credit Golffile Thos Caffrey Copyright: xThosxCaffreyx *EDI*, *Imago*

On the tee on par-3 seventh in the first round of the 2026 Cognizant Classic, Ryan Gerard made a shot that we can hardly forget.

As he opened from the tee box, a bird entered the ball’s trajectory and appeared to be hit by the ball. Despite the impact, Gerard’s shot landed him in the green.

When NUCLR GOLF showcased the incident through a video on X, golf fans started expressing their awe with Gerard’s shot. One fan commented, “I can't hit a fairway 20 yards wide but this guy nails a bird mid-flight AND sticks the green. The golf gods have favorites.”

One fan added, “Crushing a bird and still ending up on the green… wild.” And another wrote, “Landing on the green is insane.”

The ball’s trajectory, despite apparently hitting a bird, seemed pretty unreal. It even made a fan question, “how did the ball make it so far after destroying that bird?”

Many fans began questioning if the bird was alright. But many others brought a bit of humor into the comments section.

One fan commented, “Did he make the birdie putt? Pun intended.” Well, most would believe that with such a shot, Gerard would be the one winning the tournament with ease. But reality was slightly different.

What Really Happened With Ryan Gerard?

Gerard’s ball never really hit the bird mid-flight. Upon closer review, the officials concluded that the bird dipped to avoid contact with the ball and made it out without a scratch. So, what were the black feather-like objects in the visuals?

Those were actually the blades of grass that Gerard’s divot sent flying. And the bird continued to fly away following the near miss.

Meanwhile, Ryan Gerard landed 35 ft away from the hole and ended up two-putting to record par. In the end, he shot two-over 73 and ranked T82nd by the end of the first round.

Gerard began the 2026 season with a runner-up finish at the Sony Open and the American Express. He later ended the Farmers Insurance Open with a T11 finish. But later, his stance got weaker. He failed to secure a top 10 finish at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the Genesis Invitational.

However, he still has a chance to turn things around at the Cognizant Classic. But can he do it?

What do you think? Tell us in the comments!

Written by

Krushna Pattnaik

Edited by

Oajaswini Prabhu