Former Rutgers star and PGA Tour golfer Chris Gotterup made headlines on Sunday. The New Jersey native won the Myrtle Beach Classic, becoming the first Scarlet Knight in school history to win a PGA Tour event. Gotterup, who was with Rutgers from 2017-2020, finished 22 under par.
Gotterup won the event by six strokes.
For Gotterup, it was a performance he will never forget, as he won a $720,000 prize. Due to his success, the 24-year-old has earned a spot in this week’s PGA Championship at Valhalla. He will also now be able to compete in the 2025 Players Championship and the Sentry.
On the final day of the classic, Gotterup took his game to another level. He finished with a four-under-par 67 to secure the win. On Sunday, he was able to create some separation from the competition with a clutch birdie from 15 feet on hole 16 to create a six-shot advantage.
During his biggest career win, Gotterup had to battle adversity after struggling on the first hole.
A win for Team Gotterup ❤️
@ChrisGotterup | @MyrtleBeachCl pic.twitter.com/XVxiTNmhjW
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 12, 2024
“I felt good, like better than I thought I would feel coming out of the gates even though I made two bogeys,” Gotterup said in a PGA postgame interview. “Kind of a crappy putt on the first hole and a really tough two-putt on the next. Then to bounce back the way I did, it’s just kind of how I roll.”
Although Gotterup is now shifting his focus to Valhalla, his performance last weekend secured a special place for him in history. He became the first Jersey Shore native to win the event since 1948. That has not changed his mindset but only increased his drive.