Chris Gotterup went toe to toe with Rory McIlroy in the final group of the Scottish Open on Sunday and took down the reigning Masters champion to secure the biggest win of his young career, a result that some found shocking.
But painting it as a David versus Goliath victory understates Gotterup's pedigree and potential. The 25-year-old didn't come out of nowhere and is far from a fluke, even though he's largely unknown to the casual golf fan.
Gotterup does, however, offer an example of how challenging it is for a top amateur to make a name for themselves. Playing opportunities in majors and on big stages - like teeing it up alongside McIlroy at the Scottish Open - are few and far between, making his ability to capitalize on the moment even more impressive.
Let's take a look at Gotterup's golf journey, figure out what made him capable of beating McIlroy across the pond, and forecast what this victory could do for his career trajectory.
College years
The New Jersey native attended Rutgers in his home state for his first four years of eligibility - a school not exactly known for its golf program or producing PGA TOUR players. It took a while for Gotterup to find his footing in college golf. Once he did, he earned Big Ten Player of the Year honors in the 2019-20 season and then transferred to Oklahoma for his last year of college.
Gotterup cleaned up as a Sooner. He won the Fred Haskins Award (other recent winners include Ludvig Aberg and Sahith Theegala) as college golf's most outstanding player, the Jack Nicklaus Award (which also recognizes the best college golfer), and Big 12 Player of the Year honors for the 2021-22 season.
He also finished T7 at the 2022 Puerto Rico Open as an amateur, an early sign that he could compete on the PGA TOUR.
Early pro career
Gotterup earned conditional status on the Korn Ferry Tour through the PGA TOUR University program, an initiative that grants top-ranked college golfers status on either the PGA TOUR or Korn Ferry Tour. He placed T4 at the 2022 John Deere Classic in his fourth start as a professional, but he didn't earn enough FedEx Cup points in his handful of 2022 PGA TOUR starts to earn a full-time membership for the following season.
Like most top prospects, Gotterup still outgrew the Korn Ferry Tour relatively quickly. He didn't win in his lone season on the feeder tour, but he earned enough points to secure a full-time PGA TOUR card for 2024.
Much like his slow start in college, he struggled to find consistency in his first year. He missed five cuts in his first 10 starts of 2024, with no finishes inside the top 30, before a T11 in the Zurich Classic team event seemed to provide a spark.
Gotterup claimed his first PGA TOUR title two starts later at the Myrtle Beach Classic, the opposite-field event that ran concurrently with the Wells Fargo Championship (coincidentally won by McIlroy). Despite the victory, Gotterup failed to make the FedEx Cup Playoffs in his first full TOUR season.
What changed?
The beginning of Gotterup's 2025 season felt like a rerun - he missed seven cuts in his first 10 starts. Then something changed.
He's always been a power player, ranking fifth in driving distance on the PGA TOUR in 2024 and eighth this season. But it takes much more than distance to be successful, and Gotterup's improved approach play has been the key to taking the next step.
In those first 10 starts, Gotterup lost 0.37 strokes on approach per tournament; in his last eight, he's gained 1.13 strokes per tournament, which is 1.5-shot swing per event. He also ranks second on the PGA TOUR in greens-in-regulation percentage (71.23%) this year. Gotterup's elite distance and improved iron play have transfomed him into one of the best ball-strikers on TOUR - he's third behind Scottie Scheffler and Daniel Berger in strokes gained: ball-striking (off the tee plus approach) over the past 24 rounds.
It should have come as no surprise that Gotterup didn't flinch playing in the final group of the Scottish Open. He's one of the few players in the world who can keep up with McIlroy's intimidating distance off the tee, and he also turned in the best putting week of his career.
What's next?
It's not totally outrageous to suggest Gotterup has a chance at making the American Ryder Cup team that'll head to Bethpage Black at the end of September.
Gotterup ranks 41st in points, so he'll need to make some serious noise at the Open Championship this week and then carry that momentum into a deep FedEx Cup Playoffs run. But based on his current form, collecting at least one more win isn't out of the question.
His length off the tee makes him an ideal fit for Bethpage. Distance and power used to be one of the Americans' strengths, but the European team has surpassed them in that area. Gotterup would bolster a roster that needs some distance to keep up with McIlroy, Aberg, and Jon Rahm.
Question marks at the back end of the American team work in Gotterup's favor as well. As it stands, there are six locks for the United States: Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, J.J. Spaun, Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Thomas, and Collin Morikawa. Where captain Keegan Bradley goes from there is a mystery.
Gotterup is ultimately unlikely to represent the United States at this Ryder Cup, but future appearances seem very possible. He shares a similar pedigree with all of the elite players that make Ryder Cup teams, and he's still getting his feet as a professional golfer.
The next logical step in his career is contending in a major championship. His next opportunity comes this week at Royal Portrush. Gotterup already shocked the golf world once in the United Kingdom, so don't be surprised if you see his name near the top of the leaderboard again.
