Honolulu — chris gotterup He was dressed in leis around his neck, holding a champagne flute in one hand and the gold Sony Open trophy in the other for the traditional toast to Waialae members on Sunday evening. He loves coming to Hawaii, even though the occasion was never one worth celebrating.
He was part of the freshman class that came to Honolulu for orientation in 2024, but was told there was no room for them in the field. He had missed the cut a year ago and was ranked world No. 195.
On Sunday, he fired a 6-under 64 with a combination of power to win the Sony Open by two shots, giving him three wins in three years on the PGA Tour and moving him closer to golf’s A-list.
“I felt like I was in a good frame of mind this week, just happy to be here,” Gotterup said. “I felt like I got my brain under control, which is the most important thing. I drove it very well and made some putts when it mattered.”
He finished at 16-under 264 and fell to No. 17 in the world.
Ryan Gerrard He finished alone in second place after scoring 65 with birdies on his last two holes. He flew to Mauritius late last year and finished runner-up to break into the top 50 and secure a spot at his first Masters. Now he is out of the top 30.
patrick rogers He had another chance for his first PGA Tour victory, but he went without a birdie on the back nine until the final hole. He stood third with a score of 65.
“Unfortunately, there was no hot putter today,” said Rodgers, who now has nine top-3s since 2015.
Vijay SinghThe 62-year-old, who is playing on tour this season via the Career Money exemption, posted three sub-70 rounds on the week, including a closing 69, to finish tied for 40th.
Gotterup had a dream week, taking control of his game at Waialae, walking the streets of Waikiki at night to get away from golf. He got a little help from the 54-hole leader on Sunday davis relayWho had a pair of birdies through five holes before his bid ended in a span of four holes. He made consecutive three-putt bogeys from long distance, and then followed with a wild drive into the trees on the left side of the eighth fairway, leading to double bogey. He went from a two-shot lead to three shots behind and never recovered, finishing tied for sixth with a 71.
But then again, Gotterup didn’t give anyone much of a chance.
“It was anyone’s tournament,” Gotterup said. “Then I hit some good putts and I saw some guys step back. I know Ryan played a great tournament and he tried to make a run at the end. Some other guys played well too and I stopped them.”
Even on an old-school Waialae course with doglegs made up of royal palms, he hit tee shots of more than 330 yards at the start of the back nine. But it was his putter that ultimately made the difference.
Gotterup holed a 20-foot hole on No. 12, and then holed a 25-foot putt on the 13th, the toughest hole on the course. He achieved it for the final birdie on the par-3 17th with a tee shot that landed perfectly between the pin and the bunker.
He said the course reminded him of home, and Gotterup has a lot of those lately — growing up in New Jersey and three years at Rutgers, a senior season at Oklahoma where he lived until recently moving to Florida.
This was the reference jersey, mainly the size of the holes and the shots required.
“The way you play on the golf course reminds me a lot of how I grew up playing,” Gotterup said. “So it’s a comfortable feeling. I know what kind of golf it requires…and it’s a nice line of bum-and-gouges and also needs to be in the fairway. I’ve put in enough effort this week to find the fairway.”
Gotterup had won the Scottish Open last year by beating Rory McIlroyAnd he won the Myrtle Beach Classic on the opposite field in his rookie season. He is the sixth player to win three times on the PGA Tour since the beginning of 2024 Scotty Scheffler (13), McIlroy (5), xander schaufele (3), hideki matasuyama (3 more ben griffin (3).
The Sony Open was the latest start to the PGA Tour season since The Sentry at Kapalua, Maui, was canceled due to a water dispute that marred the course in September.
The final round at Waialae was played with the idea that it might be the last round of the Hawaii Tour. The Sony Open title sponsorship expires this year, and there is a movement to start the Tour season later in 2027 and move it to just before or after the Super Bowl.
“Hopefully,” Gotterup said, “I’m not the last champion.”
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
