Chris Gotterup had to fend off Rory McIlroy to pull it off, but he’s headed to Royal Portrush after all.
Gotterup held on late on Sunday to top McIlroy and the rest of the field and win the Genesis Scottish Open. That marked his second career PGA Tour win and earned the 25-year-old one of the final spots into next week’s British Open.
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Gotterup posted a final round 66 on Sunday at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick, which gave him a two-shot win over McIlroy and Marco Penge. The win was by far the biggest of his career, following his inaugural Tour win at the Myrtle Beach Classic last year, and earned him a $1.57 million check. Gotterup needed a top-three finish this week to earn a spot in the British Open.
“It’s just awesome. I’m not going to be able to keep it together,” Gotterup said on CBS, fighting off tears. “It’s awesome. I can’t wait to see everyone, and I’m playing in the Open next week.”
Gotterup jumped into contention after posting a 9-under 61 on Friday, which matched the course record and gave him a two-shot lead at the midway point. But Gotterup ended up with an even 70 on Saturday, which allowed McIlroy to jump right back into it. McIlroy posted a 4-under 66 in his third round to grab a share of the lead and play his way into the final group.
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Though Gotterup bogeyed his opening hole, he still made the turn at 2-under on the day and then birdied twice in his first three holes on the back nine — including a perfect tee shot at the par 3 12th that landed within 3 feet of the cup.
That gave Gotterup a two-shot lead at the time while McIlroy largely fell flat. He made par on his final 10 holes of the day, and left several great opportunities for birdie out there. He even landed right off the edge of the green in two at the par 5 16th, but he once again couldn’t convert. McIlroy ended up finishing with a 2-under 68 on the day, which actually matched his worst competitive round at The Renaissance Club.
Gotterup, who pushed his lead back to two with a birdie at the 16th, entered the final hole with that lead in place. He and McIlroy were seen smiling and chatting with each other walking down the fairway after each landing in the fairway at the 18th, too, seemingly knowing what was to come. He then two-putted for par to officially seal the deal.
Gotterup is now just the sixth American man to win the Scottish Open in the event’s history. Penge and McIlroy finished two shots back at 13-under on the week. Nicolai Højgaard and Matt Fitzpatrick then rounded out the top-5.
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McIlroy was looking for his 30th career win on the PGA Tour, which would have made him just the 11th golfer in Tour history to hit that mark with at least five major titles. He’s stumbled a bit after winning the Masters earlier this season and completing the career grand slam, though he bounced back with a top-20 finish at the U.S. Open and a T6 run at the Travelers Championship last month. The win would have been his third of the season.
Gotterup has made the cut in 13 of 22 events this season on Tour, though he entered the week without a top-10 finish. He hadn’t recorded a top-10 finish since his win in Myrtle Beach last year, either. Gotterup finished T23 at the U.S. Open last month, however which was his best finish at a major championship in his career. The Maryland native also started the week at No. 158 in the Official World Golf Rankings.
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The win moved him to No. 39 in the FedEx Cup standings, well inside the threshold to qualify for the FedExCup Playoffs later this fall and the Tour’s signature events next season. It’s going to launch him up the OWGR list to a new career-high, too. Regardless of what happens next week in Northern Ireland, Gotterup got his career-altering win under his belt. He’s now in a position to legitimately compete on Tour for years to come.