By Rich Chrampanis
HONOLULU – Chris Gotterup’s third PGA Tour victory came 5,000 miles from home, but as the pride of Little Silver stood holding the trophy at the Sony Open in Hawaii Jan. 18, Waialae Country Club gave him a little sense of déjà vu.
“This kind of feels like home,” Gotterup said after his win, clarifying which “home,” between Oklahoma, Florida and the Garden State, he was speaking about. “New Jersey, because the way this course sets up, it’s very old school.”
The triumph marked Gotterup’s third win in as many seasons on the tour, continuing a remarkable rise for the 26-year-old who grew up playing at Rumson Country Club. And while the tropical setting couldn’t be more different from our backyard, Gotterup found himself at ease on a course that reminded him of his formative years as a junior golfer.
“The way the course is designed – obviously the grass is different, the views are different – but it’s just the way you play the golf course reminds me a lot of how I grew up playing,” Gotterup explained, comparing Waialae to Plainfield Country Club and Baltusrol. “So that is a comforting feeling. I know the kind of golf that’s required and there is a fine line of bomb-and-gouge and also needing to be in the fairway.”
Gotterup could not have drawn up a better start to his 2026 debut on the PGA Tour. He fired an opening round 63 to vault near the top of the leaderboard and stayed in contention with rounds of 69 and 68 to find himself two shots off the lead, heading into Sunday’s round at 10-under par.
His final round of 64 showcased what makes him one of golf’s rising stars. Four birdies and a bogey on the front nine got him to 13-under. From there, his back nine was a master class in taking over a tournament. His reputation as one of the longest drivers on tour was justified as he blasted a 359-yard drive on the par-4 12th hole. On the back nine, he had three drives that topped over 335 yards.
But even more impressive was the putter. He made back-to-back birdie putts on 12 and 13, both over 20 feet long, which gave him separation from the field. On the par-3 17th, he sealed his championship with another birdie putt.
“You know, I felt like when I’ve been in control of my game, when I’ve had a chance to win, I’ve done it,” Gotterup said. “This is another example. It’s just when you get in contention, you’re able to hit shots under the gun, you just believe that you can do it again.”
The Christian Brothers Academy graduate made the decision following his breakthrough year on the PGA Tour in 2025 to move from Oklahoma, where he spent his fifth year of college, to Florida, where many PGA Tour regulars call home.
“I felt like the last couple of years, I started tournaments really rough out of the gate,” Gotterup said. “I loved living in Oklahoma, but 40 degrees and 40-mile-an-hour winds in December is not ideal for coming to Palm Springs or Hawaii. So I just figured that was the smart move to make.”
A year ago, Gotterup missed the cut at the Sony Open and was ranked 195th in the world. He missed the cut in eight of his first 12 tournaments before a remarkable summer saw him win the Scottish Open, outplaying Rory McIlroy, followed by a third-place finish at the British Open. The former Nicklaus Award winner is currently ranked No. 17 in the world and is the sixth player since the start of 2024 to win three times on the PGA Tour, joining Scottie Scheffler (13), McIlroy (5), Xander Schauffele (3), Hideki Matsuyama (3) and Ben Griffin (3). That lofty list is an indicator that Chris Gotterup is not only here to stay on the PGA Tour but a player who could very well contend for a major championship in the coming years and be in the mix for the President’s Cup and Ryder Cup.
“You just get comfortable with being out here and it’s a marathon of a season,” Gotterup reflected. “I think that is a much more freeing feeling than being like, I got to play well this week and it’s the first week.”
Sony Open Final Leaderboard
Player Score Par
Chris Gotterup 264 -16
Ryan Gerard 266 -14
Patrick Rodgers 267 -13
Robert MacIntyre 268 -12
The article originally appeared in the January 22 – 28, 2026 print edition of The Two River Times.
