What does it take to win a PGA Tour season opener? For Chris Gotterup, the answer was forged six months earlier—in a final-group duel with Rory McIlroy on Scottish soil. Gotterup claimed the 2026 Sony Open with a final-round 64 at Waialae Country Club, finishing at 16-under for his third PGA Tour victory. The 28-year-old overtook Davis Riley on the front nine after the third-round leader crumbled with an early double-bogey on the par-4 eighth. From there, Gotterup never looked back.

The composure traced directly to the 2025 Genesis Scottish Open. There, Gotterup held off a charging McIlroy amid a hostile pro-Rory atmosphere at the Renaissance Club. That two-shot victory over one of golf’s ultimate closers became his psychological credential—proof he could finish against the best.

“When I’ve been in control of my game, when I’ve had a chance to win, I’ve done it,” Gotterup said after his Hawaii triumph. “This is another example.”

Waialae demands restraint. The tight, wind-exposed layout punishes aggression. Gotterup’s Sunday 64 dissected the course rather than overpowering it—a far cry from the “Jersey Bomber” reputation built on raw distance. He carded a front-nine 32 to seize control, then buried challengers with birdies from 21 feet on the 12th and 26 feet on the 13th. By the par-5 18th, the tournament belonged to him.

The $1.638 million winner’s check from the $9.1 million purse marks an early statement. But the real currency is confidence—earned, not borrowed.

The Scottish Open blueprint explains everything. Gotterup arrived at the Renaissance Club ranked 158th in the world—a clear underdog against a field stacked with major champions. Yet when Sunday’s final pairing pitted him against McIlroy, Gotterup refused to wilt. He fired a closing 66, grabbed two birdies on the back nine while McIlroy stalled with ten consecutive pars, and walked away with a two-shot cushion. That pressure cooker became his education: closing doesn’t require perfection. It requires control.

At Waialae, the lesson transferred cleanly. When Riley’s collapse cracked the door open, Gotterup didn’t force it wider. He simply walked through.

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Chris Gotterup’s Sony Open win carried heightened 2026 stakes

The Sony Open wasn’t just another event. With The Sentry cancelled due to drought conditions on Maui, Hawaii’s flagship tournament became the season’s sole opening act. The field of 120 included ten DP World Tour players and defending champion Nick Taylor, who led after 36 holes before fading.

For Gotterup, the timing sharpened everything. His Scottish Open triumph had already punched his ticket to Augusta National—a Masters debut awaiting him in April. Now, with a season-opening victory in hand, the trajectory is unmistakable. Three wins in three seasons. A closing record that includes McIlroy’s scalp and a collapsing 54-hole leader.

“When you get in contention, you’re able to hit shots under the gun, you just believe in yourself that you can do it again,” Gotterup explained.

The question hovering over his career—whether power could translate into consistent winning—has an answer now. It arrived on a Hawaiian afternoon, built on a Scottish foundation.