By Rich Chrampanis
NEWTON SQUARE, PA – The PGA Tour is not making a stop in Monmouth County anytime soon, which made the 108th PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Philadelphia the closest thing to a “home game” for Little Silver’s Chris Gotterup.
“I slept in my own bed on Sunday, so I take that as a win when I can get it,” Gotterup said. “It’s nice to be back wearing a sweatshirt and being in the Northeast.”
Gotterup once again showed why he’s among the best golfers in the world, finishing in a tie for 10th at the PGA with a 3-under-par, six shots behind champion Aaron Rai.
“I had never been here before until Monday,” Gotterup said in a press conference following his second round. “I’ve been around the area a decent amount. We didn’t really play much stuff in Philly growing up.”
The CBA graduate took home a check for $496,708 and said he appreciated the local support. “My parents were here, and girlfriend and her family were here. A couple buddies were here. So it’s been fun in that respect. It makes it feel a little bit more like you’re at home. For how much we’re on the road, you don’t get to feel that that much,” he said.
The four-time PGA Tour winner opened the tournament shooting a 2-over-par 72 before a sensational 65 in the second round, the lowest on the course. The score was even more impressive when you factor in windy conditions in the morning that saw the world’s best golfers struggling with club selection and tough pin placements. Gotterup had three straight birdies on seven, eight and nine.
“Today would definitely be one of those days where I would be on the couch and I would be like, ‘How did he hit it there?’ and ‘How did he do this?’ And then you’re out there, and it just feels like it’s impossible,” Gotterup said.
“If you’re getting ready for AmEx, you know there’s going to be a ton of birdies. But out here, yeah, I think it’s a little more almost U.S. Open-esque.”
For the first time in his career, Gotterup was in the lead at a major when he sank a birdie putt on the ninth hole in round three Saturday to get to 5-under-par. Three bogeys on the back nine would put him four shots back heading into Sunday.
The final round saw a birdie on the third hole and 17 pars to earn a Top 10 finish.
After finishing 24th at the Masters and a third at last year’s British Open, Gotterup is showing that he’s a contender in the biggest tournaments in the world. He’ll have two more chances this summer with the U.S. Open in June at Shinnecock Hills on Long Island and the British Open in July at Royal Birkdale in England.
“I feel like, if I’m playing well, I can compete anywhere,” he said when asked how ready he is to win a major. “You just got to keep putting yourself in position, and you hope that one day it breaks through and it was your time.”
FedExCup Standings
1. Cameron Young 2,504
2. Scottie Scheffler 2,431
3. Matt Fitzpatrick 2,404
4. Colin Morikawa 1,727
5. Jacob Bridgeman 1,512
6. Chris Gotterup 1,407
7. Rory McIlroy 1,228
8. Ludig Aberg 1,215
9. Si Woo Kim 1,180
10. Xander Schauffele 1,079
2026 PGA Tour Money List Leaders
1. Cameron Young $11,920,193
2. Matt Fitzpatrick $10,960,188
3. Scottie Scheffler $10,931,193
4. Rory McIlroy $7,594,025
5. Jacob Bridgeman $6,824,450
6. Collin Morikawa $6,742,000
7. Akshay Bhatia $6,411,000
8. Kristoffer Reitan $5,022,000
9. Chris Gotterup $5,015,000
10. Si Woo Kim $4,821,000
The article originally appeared in the May 21 – 27, 2026 print edition of The Two River Times.
