Chris Gotterup Wins Major Tune-Up at 2025 Scottish Open

Chris Gotterup stared down Rory McIlroy on Sunday to capture his second PGA Tour win and earn himself a spot at next week’s Open Championship. The 25-year-old shook off an opening bogey to shoot a final-round 66 and beat playing partner McIlroy and Marco Penge by two shots. Gotterup overcame being put on the clock late on Sunday due to some deliberate play to claim his biggest achievement as a golfer.

Gotterup is one of the bright potential stars in the American game. He turned professional in 2022 after a banner final season for the Oklahoma Sooners in which he won the Haskins and Jack Nicklaus Awards. Prior to Oklahoma, Gotterup was the Big Ten Player of the Year at Rutgers.

Since becoming a pro, he has steadily progressed, earning his card in 2023 on the Korn Ferry Tour, winning the opposite-field event last year in Myrtle Beach as a rookie on Tour, and now winning one of the strongest PGA Tour events of the year while outplaying one of the all-time greats in a final group on Sunday.

Gotterup’s differentiator at the pro level is his driver, which has been a weapon in his strong run over the past few months. In his two biggest starts, he ranked second at the U.S. Open in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee, a tournament he finished in a tie for 23rd. This week he was fourth in the same category. Gotterup’s ability to dominate a golf course with a driver is what gives him immense star potential.

As referenced earlier, the Scottish Open is one of the biggest winners in recent years. The stature of the annual stop at Renaissance has only grown as it has become a staple for most big-name players in preparation for the Open Championship. This year’s tournament boasted the second strongest field on the PGA Tour behind only the Players. This makes Gotterup’s win all the more impressive as the leaderboard was filled with the who’s who of PGA Tour golf.

Gotterup’s power and strong play have seen him finish in the top 25 six times in his last ten starts. If he’s able to add another win or a series of strong performances through the playoffs, could he emerge as a potential Ryder Cup player at Bethpage Black? The New Jersey native would be a crowd favorite and Bethpage is a notoriously favorable setup for long drivers of the golf ball.

The story outside of Gotterup at Renaissance is the strong play from many of the favorites at next week’s Open. The runner-up finish from McIlroy signals he’s closer to the form we saw in the early parts of the season when he was playing the best of any golfer in the world. If he were to add a second major in his home country of Northern Ireland to go with his Career Grand Slam clinching Masters win, we could be witnessing one of the more storybook seasons in the history of professional golf.

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World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler put together a good showing at Renaissance, finishing in a tie for eighth. Scheffler had his usual top-notch tee-to-green play in tow but struggled on the greens. It will be a big question mark next week, as Scheffler’s putting was dreadful at last year’s Open at Troon and also held him back at Oakmont last month.

Xander Schauffele, last year’s Champion Golfer of the Year, put together one of his best performances in a down year, tying with Scheffler and regular major-champion favorite Ludvig Aberg at 9 under. On top of those names, we saw a stellar Sunday from Justin Rose (sixth) and a good week from Viktor Hovland (T-11), who has been knocking on the door regularly at major championships. Perhaps the man who should be considered the favorite at Portrush, Jon Rahm, nearly won at LIV Golf Andalucia.

This past weekend set up exactly what you want heading into a major championship with an outstanding venue as many of golf’s best are in top form. Buckle up, this week at Royal Portrush should be a lot of fun.

‍This piece originally appeared in the Fried Egg Golf newsletter. Subscribe for free and receive golf news and insight every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.