PISCATAWAY, NJ – Sunday marked a historic moment for the Rutgers men's golf program as former Scarlet Knight Chris Gotterup captured his first Rolex Series victory at the 2025 Genesis Scottish Open on the PGA Tour.
The win is not only a monumental step in Gotterup's professional rise but also a defining moment in Rutgers Athletics' history. The victory came at the Renaissance Club in North Berwick, Scotland.
Gotterup finished (-15) on the event two strokes ahead of Rory McILroy and Marco Penge (-13).
"I just hung in there tight and tried to keep it together here," Gotterup said on CBS after the win. "After my start this week, I really struggled. Then I found something on Friday and today, I knew it was going to be a grind. Yesterday was a grind too. Hitting the bunker on the first hole, I'm like, 'oh, sh—, here we go,' but I held it together really well. It was so much fun out there."
Gotterup, a 2022 graduate and All-American during his four-year collegiate career "On the Banks," has charted a remarkable path to golf's biggest stage, leading to this moment. The Rumson, New Jersey native played four seasons at Rutgers in his home state from 2017-21 and is a proud representative of the University on the PGA Tour.
The win comes 14 months after his first career PGA Tour title: the Myrtle Beach Classic in South Carolina.
With his victory, Gotterup has clinched a spot in next week's British Open, marking the third major championship participation of his career; he competed in the 2022 US Open and 2024 PGA Championship.
Rutgers Head Coach
Rob Shutte praised Gotterup's journey and victory.
"We are unbelievably proud of Chris," Shutte said. "This is a monumental accomplishment and a testament to his hard work, talent, and belief in himself. Watching him compete and succeed at the highest level is inspiring for our entire program and the Rutgers community. He's always represented us with pride, and now the world is seeing what we've known all along."
Gotterup delivered an unbelievable second-round performance where he tied a course record, shooting a 61 on Friday. Gotterup's performance was capped with a bogey-free 9-day, moving to 11-under and two shots clear of second place heading into Saturday. In Round 3, Gotterup kept pace shooting even par. Gotterup is heading into the final round tied with Rory McIlroy. Gotterup shot a 66 in Round 4 and finished the victory with a winning putt on the last hole.
"Golf has a new up-and-comer," CBS announcer Jim Nantz said on the national broadcast. "You may not have recognized the name at the beginning of the week, but you're never going to forget it now."
Gotterup's rapid rise and breakthrough on the PGA Tour are a source of inspiration for Rutgers golfers past, present, and future. In his final year of college golf at Oklahoma, he won the Haskins and Jack Nicklaus National Player of the Year awards. In the fall of 2022 Gotterup finished tied for third at Final Stage of Q-School to earn Korn Ferry Tour status. In 2023, Gotterup finished No. 23 on the Korn Ferry Tour standings to earn a PGA TOUR card.
In May of 2024, Gotterup captured first PGA Tour win at the Myrtle Beach Classic In 2025, Gotterup posted nine top-25 finishes in his first 21 starts of the season.
