Ryan Gerard takes two-stroke lead into Sunday at Simmons Bank Open for the Snedeker Foundation

FRANKLIN, Tenn. – During the two-week break between the first two Korn Ferry Tour Finals events, Ryan Gerard visited national parks with his mom. Now he’s parked atop the 54-hole leaderboard at the Simmons Bank Open for the Snedeker Foundation.

Gerard carded a third-round, 6-under 64 on a Saturday that featured intermittent rains at Vanderbilt Legends Club’s North Course outside Nashville, and his 18-under 192 is two strokes clear of Matt Atkins and Paul Peterson into the final round.

Gerard and Atkins will play in Sunday’s final pairing at the Simmons Bank Open, with twosomes running off No. 1 tee from 6:58 to 1 p.m. Central.

“This is the kind of grass I grew up on in North Carolina down the road,” Gerard said. “About six hours straight shot down I-40, you'll find this patchy Bermuda … I'm comfortable on it, played a lot on it and that's kind of helped.

“I feel like my iron shots have been fairly solid, but nothing too spectacular compared to normal. Just really hitting it good off the tee, managing it well.”

Gerard, who stands No. 13 on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List, has mathematically secured his 2025 PGA TOUR card via the top 30 on the season-long standings, which will be finalized after the Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance in early October. The University of North Carolina alum played a mostly full 2023 PGA TOUR schedule on Special Temporary Membership, but he failed to equal No. 125 on the final FedExCup Fall standings and returned to the Korn Ferry Tour for 2024.

Gerard, 25, has thrived this season, with 10 top-25 finishes in 23 starts including a victory at the BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by TD SYNNEX in early June. He finished T7 at the Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron, the Finals’ first leg, then visited Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park with his mom Judy. He relished the experience – including some moments just inches from a herd of buffalo – then returned to his adopted home region of south Florida for a swing lesson with Jason Baile. He attended good friend Bryson Nimmer’s wedding on Friday before arriving in Music City the following day.

That extra practice paid off. Gerard has recorded 17 birdies and an eagle this week, against just one bogey, to ascend into the leaderboard’s top spot at Vanderbilt Legends Club, a first-year Korn Ferry Tour venue. Although he’s #TOURBound for 2025, Gerard is motivated to climb the Korn Ferry Tour Points List and improve his position on the TOUR Priority Ranking – after spending ample time last season on alternate lists, he’s keenly aware of the Priority Ranking’s importance.

“Every start at the beginning of the year means so much just for that first reshuffle and just your chances for the rest of the year,” Gerard said. “Just having guaranteed starts in certain events and the more opportunities that you have to kind of put points on the board early in the season makes a big difference for the rest of your year and hopefully kind of climbing up that FedExCup points list for next year.”

In contrast to Gerard, the 33-year-old Atkins is fighting for his career across the Korn Ferry Tour Finals. Atkins, who climbed eight spots on the leaderboard with a third-round 61, entered the week at No. 103 on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List. The top 75 after next week’s Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship will be fully exempt on the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour, and Atkins would project to No. 51 with a two-way T2. A win would project him inside the top 30 for a TOUR card.

It's a lot on the line for the veteran pro, who was a TOUR rookie in 2018 and lost status after that season, but he’s grateful for the opportunity to continue pursuing his professional golf dreams. Atkins wasn’t sure he’d be able to continue after missing at PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry’s First Stage last fall, but sponsors came to his need. Atkins knew the results were close, and opening rounds of 70-63-61 at the Simmons Bank Open have validated that belief. It means Sunday could change his career, as well.

Things to know

• Ryan Gerard secures a two-shot lead entering the final round, his second 54-hole lead of the season.
• Gerard, No. 13 on the points list and already declared #TOURBound, is bidding for his second win this year.
• Paul Peterson, who entered the day as the outright leader, sits two shots behind Gerard after a 3-under 67.
• Matt Atkins (T2/-16) and Max McGreevy (T5/-14) tie for low round of the day with matching 9-under 61s.
• Final-round pairings will tee off from 6:58 a.m. through 1 p.m. CT off the first tee.
• Upon conclusion of this week’s Simmons Bank Open for the Snedeker Foundation, the top 120 players on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List will be eligible to compete in next week’s Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship, the third of four season-ending Korn Ferry Tour Finals events.

Additional third-round notes

• Ryan Gerard (1st/-18) holds the outright 54-hole lead for the second time this season and the first since he led by three shots at the BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by TD SYNNEX (went on to win by six strokes).
  • Currently No. 13 on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List, Gerard secured #TOURBound status two weeks ago following his top-10 finish at the Albertsons Boise Open, guaranteeing him a spot inside the top 30 on the points list at season’s end to clinch 2025 PGA TOUR membership.
  • In 23 starts this season, Gerard has 10 top-25 finishes, including three top-10s, highlighted by his first career Korn Ferry Tour win at the BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by TD SYNNEX.
• Matt Atkins (T2/-16) carded a career-low 61 Saturday and sits inside the top five on the leaderboard entering the final round for the first time this season.
  • Atkins, No. 103 on the points list, carded a bogey-free 9-under 61 via birdies at seven par-4s, one par-5 and one par-3.
  • In 13 Korn Ferry Tour starts this season, Atkins has three top-25 finishes, with his lone top-10 being a T10 at the Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper.
• 36-hole solo leader Paul Peterson (T2/-16) recorded a third-round 3-under 67 and now sits two shots behind the leader entering the final round.
  • Peterson, No. 51 on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List, has six top-25 finishes in 23 starts, including two top-10s.
• Emilio Gonzalez (4th/-15), No. 59 on the points list, carded a bogey-free 8-under 62, marking a new career low on the Korn Ferry Tour.
  • Gonzalez has totaled five top-25 finishes in 22 starts this season, highlighted by a T8 finish at the Astara Golf Championship presented by Mastercard.
• Trevor Cone (T5/-14) carded a third-round 5-under 65 and enters the final round inside the top 10 on the leaderboard for the fourth time this season.
  • Cone currently sits 29th on the points list after posting five top-10 finishes in 21 starts this season.
• Max McGreevy (T5/-14), No. 2 on the points list, sat eight shots behind the lead after 36 holes before carding a third-round bogey-free 9-under 61 and is now inside the top five on the leaderboard
  • McGreevy has seven top-10 finishes in 22 starts this season, including two wins (Memorial Health Championship presented by LRS and Magnit Championship).
  • With a win this week, McGreevy would earn the Three-Victory Promotion, granting him PGA TOUR eligibility for the 2024 FedExCup Fall events.
• Doc Redman (T10/-12) and Jack Maguire (T10/-12) carded matching 8-under 62s in the third round and sit six shots behind the leader entering Sunday.
• Morgan Hoffmann (T10/-12) opened the third round with four consecutive birdies and eventually finished with a 7-under 63, his lowest round of the season.
• Hoffmann sits 136th on the points list and needs to climb inside the top 120 to be eligible for next week’s event (Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship).