Chris Gotterup turned ‘house money' into British Open breakthrough that could have Ryder Cup implications
It's actually been a hell of a birthday week.
A week ago Sunday, Gotterup changed his life with a win at the Scottish Open, the biggest victory of his career and a win that qualified him for Portrush this week, his first career Open appearance.
He outdueled fan favorite Rory McIlroy in the final grouping of the Scottish, which put added significance on the win.
The native of Little Silver, N.J., who played his college golf at Rutgers and Oklahoma, was handed a red velvet birthday cake as he did a post-round interview with Sky Sports.
4 Chris Gotterup of the United States acknowledges the crowd on the 18th green during day four of The 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club on July 20, 2025 in Portrush, Northern Ireland.
Getty Images
He talked all week about how this week was 'house money' and 'free golf' for him since he wasn't supposed to be here in the first place.
Gotterup turned that house money into pure gold with his performance, finishing 12-under par for the week, five shots behind winner and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and one shot behind runner-up Harris English.
His world ranking, which was 49th entering the week, climbed to No. 27, which puts him in position to play the FedEx Cup playoffs and to have a chance to get to the Tour Championship and — wait for this — insert himself into the conversation as a possible U.S. Ryder Cup team member.
4 Chris Gotterup of the United States tees off on the first hole during day four of The 153rd Open Championship.
Getty Images
When he was finished with post-round interviews, Gotterup crossed a large footbridge to get to the players clubhouse to meet up with his parents and found fans still in the grandstand yelling out his name and congratulating him.
A young fan below the bridge asked him for his hat, and he tossed it to him.
Before Gotterup came to Europe to play the Scottish, none of these people even knew who he was.
4 Chris Gotterup of the U.S. shakes hands with Harris English of the U.S. on the 18th green after finishing their final round.
REUTERS
'At some point, I would have hoped to be in a position like this, but I don't know if I would have expected it to come this soon,' Gotterup told The Post. 'It's really just been a whirlwind two weeks. I feel like my belief levels are improved. I've been surprised with how comfortable I've been in these scenarios, and that's a nice feeling to know that I can step up to the plate and deliver when needed.'
English, Sunday's runner-up and a PGA Tour veteran with multiple wins, was paired with Gotterup on Sunday for the first time and said he was 'awesome.'
'What he did last week was awesome to see, going toe-to-toe with Rory at the Scottish Open, and I think this is his first time playing links golf,' English said. 'It's his first Open Championship. His ball flight suits this place. He can flight it, and he can smash it.
4 Chris Gotterup putts on the 6th green on day four of the 153rd Open Championship.
AFP via Getty Images
'I've played in nine or 10 of these, and my best finish was 14th. So for him in his first one, [to] finish third is pretty incredible. He's got a heck of a game, and I know the best is in front of him.'
Gotterup's caddie, Brady Stockton, talked about how 'this has all happened really fast' and how impressed he is with the way Gotterup has handled it all.
'I feel like he's just in a really good place mentally, and I know he's put in a lot of hard work with that, and it's paying off,' Stockton told The Post. 'I had been saying to a bunch of people going into last week that if we can just get a top 10, I feel like he'll be off and running. He just kind of had to crack through and get a little better result. He kept saying to me, 'I'm playing well, and I feel like I should be getting better results.'
'It was just patience. So when last week came, he was ready when the opportunity presented itself.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Virginia Tech accused of tampering in wild college football claim
Apparently, this is the time of year when college football's dirty laundry gets aired. The latest came from North Carolina Central coach Trei Oliver, who said at a media event Friday that a Virginia Tech assistant coach was on the sideline for one of his games last season to recruit running back J'Mari Taylor. Oliver, who was asked about the most ridiculous moments he's faced in coaching, said, 'Virginia Tech was actually on my sideline recruiting our running back. That was pretty bold. I couldn't believe it.' Advertisement 3 North Carolina Central Eagles head coach Trei Oliver during a college football game between the North Carolina Central Eagles and the UCLA Bruins on September 16, 2023, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Oliver didn't name Taylor, but said the running back later transferred to the University of Virginia, where Taylor went. NC Central's assistant coaches had to calm Oliver down on the sideline, telling him the Virginia Tech assistant was 'just down here visiting.' Advertisement 'But I knew what it was,' Oliver said. 3 J'Mari Taylor of the North Carolina Central Eagles attempts a catch on a kick during the second quarter against the UCLA Bruins at Rose Bowl Stadium on September 16, 2023 in Pasadena, California. Getty Images Virginia Tech said in a statement Saturday that it would investigate the incident. 'This is the first time the issue has been brought to our attention, and no concern has previously been shared with us through any formal channel,' the school's statement said. 'Virginia Tech takes all NCAA rules seriously and is committed to conducting our program with integrity. We are reviewing the matter internally and will address any findings appropriately.' Advertisement Oliver certainly has a rooting interest in the Commonwealth Clash now, and will be watching with interest when the Cavaliers face the Hokies to finish the season. 3 A Virginia Tech Hokies helmet rests near the sideline during the game between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Miami Hurricanes on Friday, September 27, 2024 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images 'Thank God he went to UVA,' Oliver said. 'And UVA is going to beat the smoke out of them other folks.'
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
PGA Tour Vet Goes Unrecognized In 'Undercover' Club Fitting At Golf Store
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The 3M Open was heating up at TPC Twin Cities entering Day 3. Thorbjørn Olesen led the pack with a score of 14-under-par, while Jake Knapp started the day just one stroke behind him. However, amid all the score discussions, arguably the week's most viral moment came outside the ropes, away from the course even, at Golf Galaxy store in Blaine, Minnesota. PGA Tour pro Zac Blair shares hilarious incident Zac Blair, who got into the 3M Open field as a late alternate on Wednesday, posted a hilarious video to Instagram that's quickly become a fan favorite. With the course closed due to storms on Wednesday, Blair headed to Golf Galaxy for a casual club fitting, but as an "undercover". He got dressed in sweats, a blue T-shirt and let the staff treat him like any weekend golfer. OAKMONT, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 12: Zac Blair of the United States hits a tee shot on the 10th hole during the first round of the 125th U.S. OPEN at Oakmont Country Club on June 12,... OAKMONT, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 12: Zac Blair of the United States hits a tee shot on the 10th hole during the first round of the 125th U.S. OPEN at Oakmont Country Club on June 12, 2025 in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. (Photo by) More Getty Images Nic, the fitter, helped Blair but had no idea he was working with a Tour pro who's earned nearly $8 million in career prize money. When Blair requested a Titleist driver, Nic told him to "get his shoulders loose" and hit a few shots so they could measure his clubhead speed. The 34-year-old, enjoying the moment, agreed, swung a few pro shots and acted along. At one point, Blair's friend, who was recording the whole incident, asked Nic to guess the Tour pro's handicap. "I'll say probably one ... a regular one," Nic replied as shown in the video posted on Blair's Instagram handle. "I'm a 2.5 so," he added. "So you think he's better than you?" the friend questioned further. "Umm no," Nic replied with confidence. The moment was pure comedy. Blair is known as one of the shortest hitters on Tour. After a few swings, Nic fitted him with a driver that Blair later used to shoot a bogey-free 64 in Round 1 and 72 on Day 2 at the 3M Open. That was a good enough score to make the cut and head into the weekend at 6-under. Blair's Instagram caption made it clear the video wasn't meant to mock anyone. In fact, he praised Nic's knowledge and fitting skills. "Pt. 2 had to head back to golf galaxy and scoop that driver @nicholasurban1988 got me fitted in! Thanks again for putting up with us and pumped to have him out watching at the 3m this week!" he captioned his next post by sharing a video of meeting the fitter again and thanking him. This isn't Blair's first brush with a club-fitting incident The Salt Lake City, Utah, native faced a similar situation in Canada two years ago when his driver broke down mid-round. At that time, all the equipment trucks had left the tournament, and he had to scramble to find a replacement, again, without being recognized. The 34-year-old turned pro in 2014 and played college golf at BYU. Though he's still chasing his first PGA Tour win, he's had notable finishes, including a T4 at Zurich Classic last year, T2 at the 2023 Travelers Championship. He also made headlines during U.S. Open week last month with a 120-yard putt at Oakmont that went viral. As of this week, Blair entered the weekend round at TPC Twin 8 shots behind the leader. More Golf: Still not 100% Charley Hull Admits 'Scary' Collapse at Evian Impacting Play
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
Victor Wembanyama takes bizarre social media shot at Karl Malone
Victor Wembanyama doesn't seem pleased with the NBA's Karl Malone praise. The Spurs' superstar indirectly threw shade at Malone on social media after a league account wished the Hall of Famer a happy 62nd birthday Thursday. 'Join us in wishing a Happy 62nd Birthday to 14x #NBAAllStar, 2x NBA MVP, and 75th Anniversary Team member… 'The Mailman,' Karl Malone! #NBABDAY,' @NBAHistory wrote on X. Karl Malone looks on during the NBA All-Star Game as part of the 2023 NBA All-Star Weekend. NBAE via Getty Images Wembanyama seemingly weighed in by re-sharing a post from DJ J. Strand — X user @DJ_Ajaxx — who posted a video of a man saying, 'What? Oh, see that's what we not about to do. Police, lock his ass up because he need to be under the jail' in response to the league's birthday message. The post from Strand seems to refer to when Malone impregnated a 13-year-old girl when he was 20 years old and attending Louisiana Tech. For years, the former Jazz star denied his paternity status despite blood tests that confirmed 99.3 percent probability that he was the father, according to a 1998 Associated Press story. Malone eventually formed a relationship with his now-41-year-old son, Demetress Bell, who played four seasons in the NFL. Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs and Chuck's Global Stars looks on during 2025 NBA All-Star Practice & Media Availability at Oakland Arena on February 15, 2025 in Oakland, California. Getty Images It's not clear if Wembanyama's re-share meant he was wading into that conversation, however. The NBA faced backlash during the 2023 All-Star weekend in Salt Lake City — where Malone played 18 seasons, winning two MVP awards — for welcoming him as part of the festivities. At that time, Malone didn't want any part of discussing his personal history. 'I'm not discussing any of that backlash,' Malone said, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. 'I don't care. That's my life, that's my personal life, and I'll deal with that like I've had to deal with everything. 'So, whatever.'
