For Chris Gotterup, there couldn’t have been a better way to start his PGA Tour year. After a contentious fight, which stretched on for hours, with the potential to reach a playoff, the American finally seized his third career win. And with that, the emotions for him were too much to carry.

Talking about his win, a smiling Gotterup wearing the iconic Hawaiian garland thanked his family and team. “It’s been crazy. It’s been a lot of fun, and I have a great team,” he says before breaking down. “Everyone at home… I can’t get through this part every time. Yeah, I just have a great team, and everyone believes in me,” he says in tears.

What made him emotional was the fact that last year, the same event, in the same venue, Gotterup had missed the cut. At the 2025 Sony Open, he shot an even-par through two rounds. With scores of 71 and 69, he fell short of qualifying for the weekend. But this year, he successfully flipped the script.

Completing the tournament with a 16-under par, Gotterup delivered an impressive round of 63-69-68-64 to lift the coveted trophy. His final round began with two birdies, but then a bogey at the fourth hole stalled his game. Throughout the last stretch, his rivals kept changing. At first, it was Patrick Rodgers, followed by Robert MacIntyre. As the game went on, Ryan Gerard emerged in second place after shooting a birdie on the 15th.

Despite the tight contention, Gotterup played conservatively and ultimately ended the round with a par.

“I felt like when I’ve been in control of my game, when I’ve had a chance to win, I’ve done it. This is another example,” Gotterup told the media later.

Before this, he had won the Genesis Scottish Open last year, defeating Rory McIlroy. The final round of the event saw him tied with McIlroy at 11-under par. Defeating the European talisman seemed the most difficult task at the time, as McIlroy was playing on his continent, fresh after his maiden Masters win.

The crowd, undoubtedly, was merciless towards Gotterup, but the young golfer didn’t falter. He defeated McIlroy with a total of 15-under par, pushing the Northern Irishman to share second place with Marco Penge. A year before that, in 2024, he had taken home the Myrtle Beach Classic title.

For many fans, this win appears as a foreshadowing for the year ahead. “I’m predicting a massive year from Gotterup. I think a major is in the cards,” types one.

Interestingly, the first major championship will be the Masters. With a momentum already gained, Gotterup might have a chance to grab the green jacket. But that remains to be seen. In all practicality, the Waialae Country Club didn’t have many top-ranked players in the field. In contrast, the Masters will likely see a packed field. That might be the actual ultimate challenge for Gotterup.

But till then, the American has already given astounding answers to many.

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Chris Gotterup’s revenge for the Ryder Cup snub

“@Keegan_Bradley if only there was some way to know this guy was good before you picked your Ryder Cup team,” types a user.

Last year, there was a lot of noise about Chris Gotterup’s admission to the Ryder Cup. In the nine events leading up to the team announcement, Gotterup had posted six top-10 finishes. Among them was ofcourse his win at the Genesis Scottish Open and an impressive third-place finish at The Open just a week after. Yet, he was snubbed.

In Keegan Bradley‘s defence, Gotterup was not making it into the top six who automatically qualify for the biennial event. He was coming in at 20th for the final Ryder Cup standings. There were rumors that Bradley had been in touch with Gotterup, with the two messaging each other. But eventually, Captain America decided to “go in another direction,” primarily because Gotterup lacked experience.

In his place, he went with players like Collin Morikawa and Patrick Cantlay. Although their performance was not as impressive as Gotterup’s, the two did have prior team experiences. Yet, Bradley’s expected result couldn’t be produced on Bethpage as Team US lost brutally (15-13), with players like Morikawa not even winning a single round.

Hence, this win at the Sony Open comes as a fitting answer to all who doubted on Gotterup’s ability. What makes it all the more ironic is that Bradley and Morikawa themselves were on the field for the Sony Open, but they missed the cut.