Gotterup Brilliantly Pulls Scottish Open Victory Rug Out From Under Grand Slam Hero McIlroy.

4 months ago by Comments Off on Gotterup Brilliantly Pulls Scottish Open Victory Rug Out From Under Grand Slam Hero McIlroy.

Little known American Chris Gotterup has sensationally delivered one the biggest shocks of the men’s 2025 pro tournament golfing season in denying Grand Slam Rory McIlroy victory in the Genesis Scottish Open.

Gotterup, 25, posted closing of a four-under 66 to win what is a second PGA Tour title by two shots at 15-under and with McIlroy unable to stop the current World No. 158 from victory with the World No. 2 ranked McIlroy who was two-under through eight holes but then stalled to produce 1o pars in his round of 68 and end tied second at 13-under.

Sharing second place thanks to a closing 66 was England’s Marco Penge.

While McIlroy had the victory rug putted out from under him lets taking nothing away from the Gotterup.

The Maryland-born golfer who now calls Oklahoma put himself in position on day two in posting an equal Renaissance course record 61 and while he headed into the last round in the company of McIlroy and another major winner in Wyndham Clark, Gotterup held his never to earn the whopping first prize cheque of close to Euro 1.35m.

Victory has securing Gotterup the last place into this coming week’s Open Championship what he’s secured his PGA Tour card till the end of 2027 and also earned DP World Tour status also for two years.

And it was an emotional Gotterup who spoke to the media following his victory.

We could hear the emotion in your voice; why?

CHRIS GOTTERUP: (Fighting back tears) give me a sec. I don’t know if I’m going to be able to get it out but everyone at home, I don’t know, but I mean, this is awesome. I’m not going to be able to keep it together.

Q. You’ve learned this moment.

CHRIS GOTTERUP: Yeah, it’s awesome. I can’t wait to see everyone and then I’m playing The Open next week.

Q. You’ve earned your invitation and you can cancel the flight back to California. Take me back to the course on 16. You said last night, that one was going to be important and you made it when it mattered most. What was going through your mind after you made that birdie and led by two?

CHRIS GOTTERUP: I thought about those interviews and I said, here we go, like this is it. Putting it right in the center. All right, let’s hit good iron shots and tee balls. Man, I really, really hung in there well today.

Q. We can see the emotions are high, your first Rolex Series title comes here at the Home of Golf in a stacked field, our Genesis Scottish Open Champion. How are you feeling right now?

CHRIS GOTTERUP: Amazing. It’s all hitting me. It’s just so cool. I played really well this week, and I knew today was going to be tough. I hung in there like a champ and finished it off in style.

Q. Certainly did hang in there. You had a two-shot lead coming into an incredibly tough finishing stretch at the Renaissance Club with one of the best to ever play this game breathing down your neck. How were your nerves? How were you handling that moment? How did you do that?

CHRIS GOTTERUP: I mean, I felt pretty good shockingly on the first tee today. I felt comfortable and I knew I was playing well this week and I felt like I was ready for the challenge.

Yeah, I mean, like I said yesterday, that’s why I practise and that’s why I play, to play against the best.

It was a pleasure to be out there with them.

Q. We know how tough it is to win out here, this field, the best in the world turned up. What’s behind this emotion and what’s coming out in these tears right now that’s allowed you to get it across the line today?

CHRIS GOTTERUP: Yeah, thanks for getting me to cry again. I mean, it’s just so much hard work. So much up-and-down. After what happened last year, didn’t know what was coming next. I’ve really been in good form here a lately and I just know everyone at home is watching.

Q. You’ve got yourself a ticket to Royal Portrush, The Open awaits. What confidence do you take forward to Northern Ireland and the rest of the season?

CHRIS GOTTERUP: 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.

As for McIlroy, it’s a second year running the 2023 Scottish Open winner has been denied and here remembering Robert McIntyre’s one shot victory of a year ago.

McIlroy said:  “It was sort of hard to. The conditions, you know, it was pretty windy. It has ward to get the ball super close. I gave myself plenty of chances coming down the stretch.

“The putter, not that I felt like I hit good putts but I feel like the greens deteriorated as the week went on and just got a little bumpy. I had some putts and some looks that felt like I hit good putts that just didn’t go in, whether they were mis-reads or poor speed here and there.

“But yeah, Chris played a great round of golf. He was so solid. Made the bogey on 15 but bounced back with a really nice birdie on 16. Yeah, after he got a couple ahead, I just couldn’t claw back”.

Q. Not the outcome you wanted but how do you carry this momentum into next week?

RORY McILROY: It’s been a great week. I’m really happy with where my game is; the way I played over the weekend; the shots that I hit, how I controlled my ball flight.

“It has been a great week. Missing the trophy, that’s about it”.



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