PALM BEACH GARDENS — It’s been almost 25 years since Randy Johnson decimated a bird with a pitch in a spring training game and it’s amazing how often that incident still comes up among sports fans.
During Thursday’s first round of the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches, something happened that brought back the Big Unit bird chatter all over again.
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On the seventh hole at PGA National, Jupiter resident Ryan Gerard hit his tee shot on the par-3 hole and his ball wasn’t in the air for long when it clipped a passing bird.
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Gerard, the highest-rated player (No. 26) in the field, somehow saved par, but the same couldn’t be said for the bird.
Ryan Gerard waits to hit his tee shot on the redesigned 18th tee during the Pro-Am of the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches at PGA National Resort & Spa on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, in Palm Beach Gardens, FL.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Ryan Gerard tee shot clips bird during Cognizant Classic first round
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