Christopher Gotterup had to resist the challenge from Rory McIlroy to achieve his goal, and he’s now set to compete at Royal Portrush.
Gotterup maintained his composure on Sunday to outplay McIlroy and the other participants, securing victory at the Genesis Scottish Open. This triumph represents his second PGA Tour win and secured the 25-year-old one of the final invitations to the upcoming British Open.
Gotterup carded a final round of 66 on Sunday at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick, resulting in a two-stroke advantage over McIlroy and Marco Penge. This victory marks the most significant of his career, following his initial Tour win at the Myrtle Beach Classic the previous year, and came with a prize of $1.57 million. Gotterup needed a top-three placement this week to qualify for the British Open.
“This is simply amazing. I’m struggling to maintain composure,” Gotterup expressed on CBS, fighting back tears. “It’s incredible. I’m eager to see everyone, and I’ll be competing in the Open next week.”
Gotterup entered contention after scoring a 9-under 61 on Friday, matching the course record and establishing a two-shot lead at the tournament’s halfway point. However, Gotterup concluded Saturday with an even 70, enabling McIlroy to regain ground. McIlroy shot a 4-under 66 in his third round, earning a share of the lead and a spot in the final grouping.
Despite Gotterup’s bogey on the opening hole, he finished the front nine at 2-under for the day and then achieved two birdies within his first three holes on the back nine — including a precise tee shot at the par 3 12th that landed within 3 feet of the hole.
This gave Gotterup a two-stroke advantage at that point, while McIlroy struggled. He made par on his final 10 holes of the day and missed numerous birdie opportunities. He even placed his second shot just off the edge of the green at the par 5 16th, but again failed to capitalize. McIlroy ultimately finished with a 2-under 68 for the day, matching his worst competitive round at The Renaissance Club.
Gotterup, who extended his lead back to two with a birdie at the 16th, entered the final hole with the same lead. He and McIlroy were observed smiling and conversing as they walked down the fairway after both landing their tee shots on the 18th fairway, seemingly aware of the impending outcome. He then two-putted for par, officially securing the victory.
Gotterup is now only the sixth American male to win the Scottish Open in the tournament’s history. Penge and McIlroy finished two strokes behind at 13-under for the week. Nicolai Højgaard and Matt Fitzpatrick then completed the top-5.
McIlroy was aiming for his 30th career win on the PGA Tour, which would have made him only the 11th golfer in Tour history to reach that milestone with at least five major titles. He has encountered some difficulties after winning the Masters earlier this season and completing the career grand slam, although he recovered with a top-20 finish at the U.S. Open and a T6 result at the Travelers Championship last month. This would have been his third victory of the season.
Gotterup has made the cut in 13 of 22 events this season on Tour, although he entered the week without a top-10 finish. He had not achieved a top-10 finish since his victory in Myrtle Beach last year. Gotterup finished T23 at the U.S. Open last month, which was his best finish at a major championship in his career. The Maryland native also began the week ranked No. 158 in the Official World Golf Rankings.
The victory propelled him to No. 39 in the FedEx Cup standings, securely within the threshold to qualify for the FedExCup Playoffs later this fall and the Tour’s signature events next season. This will also elevate him up the OWGR list to a new career-high. Regardless of the outcome next week in Northern Ireland, Gotterup has secured a career-defining win. He is now positioned to genuinely contend on Tour for years to come.
