Chris Gotterup backs himself to ‘beat the best’ after clutch The Open qualification

Chris Gotterup finished at 15-under 265 to win the Genesis Scottish Open on Sunday. The 25-year-old’s clutch victory over Masters champ Rory McIlroy at The Renaissance Club earned him one of three final spots in The Open Championship at Royal Portrush. The golfer, who moved into the top 50 in the world for the first time, said he is ready to ‘beat the best.’

Gotterup denied McIlroy’s 30th title on the PGA Tour and in turn, cancelled his plane ticket for California to play an opposite-field event in Lake Tahoe this weekend. Having punched a ticket for his debut in The Open Championship, the 2024 Myrtle Beach Classic winner said being a two-time champion “sounds a lot better.”

Furthermore, he exuded confidence in himself ahead of the final major of the year and said he knows ‘what he’s capable of.’ The former Korn Ferry Tour star was replying to a media query on qualifying for The Open when he dubbed it an “awesome” feeling.

Speaking in the Genesis Scottish Open winner’s presser, Chris Gotterup said, as quoted by ASAP Sports:

“I was a one-time champion. Two-time champ sounds a lot better. I know what I'm capable of and I know when I feel the way I did today, I can beat the best. It's just awesome.”

It is pertinent to note that Gotterup clinched one of the three final spots for The Open Championship through the International Qualifying Series after beating McIlroy. He is joined by Nicolai Højgaard and Matti Schmid. Meanwhile, Sunday’s win also qualifies Gotterup for the Masters next year for the first time ever.

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Chris Gotterup’s 2025 season so far

Chris Gotterup was having an interesting PGA Tour season before teed up at the Genesis Scottish Open this weekend. The former KFT regular, who started off 2025 with a T46 at The Sentry, carded a series of mixed results. The 25-year-old made five top-20 finishes in 20 starts ahead of The Renaissance Club outing. His best non-win finishes included a T13 at the Myrtle Beach Classic while defending the title.

Meanwhile, he also suffered missed cuts on nine occasions, including The Players Championship. It is noteworthy that the latest PGA Tour winner of the season finished T23 at the U.S. Open, the only major he qualified for. Notably, he’d entered the weekend event on the back of a T21 finish at John Deere Classic.

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Listed below is the complete breakdown of Chris Gotterup’s PGA Tour season so far (along with earnings):

• The Sentry: T46 – $62,000
• Sony Open in Hawaii: Missed Cut
• The American Express: Missed Cut
• Farmers Insurance Open: T25 – $74,068
• WM Phoenix Open: Missed Cut
• Mexico Open at VidantaWorld: Missed Cut
• Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches: Missed Cut
• Puerto Rico Open: T16 – $55,240
• THE PLAYERS Championship: Missed Cut
• Valspar Championship: Missed Cut
• Texas Children's Houston Open: T18 – $108,986
• Valero Texas Open: Missed Cut
• Corales Puntacana Championship: T18 – $51,133
• THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson: T15 – $136,719
• ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic: T13 – $69,571
• Charles Schwab Challenge: T28 – $60,978
• RBC Canadian Open: Missed Cut
• U.S. Open: T23 – $161,489
• Rocket Classic: T26 – $70,080
• John Deere Classic: T21 – $91,980
• Genesis Scottish Open: 1st – $1,575,000

Having cut the biggest paycheck of the year in Scotland, Chris Gotterup will now be eyeing a strong showing at The Open Championship.

Edited by Vishnu Mohan