Gotterup Does It Again: RU Alum Wins John Deere Classic for 3rd PGA TOUR Title of 2026
Jul 05 | Men's Golf
Chris Gotterup keeps adding chapters to what is already the greatest professional career in Rutgers men's golf history.
The former Scarlet Knight closed with a bogey-free, 9-under 62 on Sunday to win the John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run, finishing at 20-under par after Ben Kohles bogeyed the 18th hole to hand Gotterup the title. It's the fifth PGA TOUR win of Gotterup's career and his third of the 2026 season alone, joining victories at the Sony Open in Hawaii and the WM Phoenix Open — the latter coming in a playoff over Hideki Matsuyama.
Gotterup, the world No. 14, started the final round five shots off the pace before putting together one of the best closing rounds of his career. He birdied the par-5 17th to take the outright lead, then watched from the clubhouse as Kohles — who had briefly tied him at 20 under — stumbled coming home to seal it.
It marks Gotterup's first win at the John Deere Classic, a tournament with special meaning in his career arc: it was the site of his first PGA TOUR start as a pro back in 2022, where he finished tied for fourth on a sponsor's exemption fresh off his college career.
Gotterup's brother Patrick filled in as his caddie this weekend, making the win extra special.
"I really like this tournament," Gotterup said. "To have Patrick out here with me makes it so awesome. For him to take time off and be here with me just made it a great week."
Long before he was chasing FedEx Cup points, Gotterup was rewriting the record book in Piscataway. The Little Silver, New Jersey native played four seasons for Rutgers head coach Rob Shutte from 2017-21, leaving as the program's career leader in scoring average and its all-time record holder in par-3, par-4, and par-5 scoring. He was named Big Ten Player of the Year in 2019-20 and tied for fourth at the 2019 Big Ten Championship — still the best finish in program history.
This spring, Gotterup became the first golfer in Rutgers history to compete in the Masters, an invitation earned on the back of his 2026 form. Shutte called it "a milestone for our program," noting Gotterup has now represented Rutgers on every major golf stage in the sport.
The former Scarlet Knight closed with a bogey-free, 9-under 62 on Sunday to win the John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run, finishing at 20-under par after Ben Kohles bogeyed the 18th hole to hand Gotterup the title. It's the fifth PGA TOUR win of Gotterup's career and his third of the 2026 season alone, joining victories at the Sony Open in Hawaii and the WM Phoenix Open — the latter coming in a playoff over Hideki Matsuyama.
Gotterup, the world No. 14, started the final round five shots off the pace before putting together one of the best closing rounds of his career. He birdied the par-5 17th to take the outright lead, then watched from the clubhouse as Kohles — who had briefly tied him at 20 under — stumbled coming home to seal it.
It marks Gotterup's first win at the John Deere Classic, a tournament with special meaning in his career arc: it was the site of his first PGA TOUR start as a pro back in 2022, where he finished tied for fourth on a sponsor's exemption fresh off his college career.
Gotterup's brother Patrick filled in as his caddie this weekend, making the win extra special.
"I really like this tournament," Gotterup said. "To have Patrick out here with me makes it so awesome. For him to take time off and be here with me just made it a great week."
The Rutgers Connection
Long before he was chasing FedEx Cup points, Gotterup was rewriting the record book in Piscataway. The Little Silver, New Jersey native played four seasons for Rutgers head coach Rob Shutte from 2017-21, leaving as the program's career leader in scoring average and its all-time record holder in par-3, par-4, and par-5 scoring. He was named Big Ten Player of the Year in 2019-20 and tied for fourth at the 2019 Big Ten Championship — still the best finish in program history.
This spring, Gotterup became the first golfer in Rutgers history to compete in the Masters, an invitation earned on the back of his 2026 form. Shutte called it "a milestone for our program," noting Gotterup has now represented Rutgers on every major golf stage in the sport.
Chris Gotterup was emotional after winning the John Deere Classic with his brother on the bag. 🥹pic.twitter.com/JtZiO41sdd
— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) July 5, 2026
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