Without any sort of wind or conditions, the world’s best golfers were likely going to tear it up at the Genesis Scottish Open, and no one took more advantage than Chris Gotterup.
Gotterup went historically low in Round 2 at The Renaissance Golf Club in Scotland, tying the course record by shooting a 9-under 61 to vault to the top of the leaderboard in the PGA Tour’s final tune-up before The Open Championship.
Chris Gotterup Goes Nuclear On Front Nine To Set Course Record
Gotterup certainly took advantage of easy conditions while going out early for the second round at the Scottish Open. Gotterup birdied five of his first seven holes while shooting 6-under 29 on the front nine. A birdie at 10 put him at 7-under for the day before he coasted down the stretch to shoot the bogey-free 61 to tie the course record.
The 25-year-old has been one of the PGA Tour’s best players off the tee this season, entering the week ranked 10th in strokes gained off the tee and seventh in average driving distance. Without any sort of defense from Mother Nature, players like Gotterup — the big bombers — were likely to take it low this week, and that’s exactly what we’re seeing.
Gotterup’s distance off the tee certainly helped, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. The Maryland native had the approach game dialed, hitting all but one green in regulation, and he also used nine one-putts to help shoot the career-low score.
The performance shouldn’t come as a total surprise. Gotterup has been trending in the right direction. After missing the cut in eight of his first 12 events of the year, he has started to stack some results. The only missed cut he has posted since then came at the Canadian Open where he was under par in each of his rounds, and he’s finished in the top 30 in all seven events he’s played outside of that MC. That includes a career-best major finish with a T-23rd at the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club in June.
Gotterup Living Up to Hype As Former College Superstar
Fans of college golf certainly won’t be surprised to see Gotterup’s progress and career day.
The soon-to-be 26-year-old is something of a late bloomer as a professional by today’s standards. But he was an absolute stud in college, starting his collegiate career with Rutgers before transferring to the University of Oklahoma.
With the Sooners, his career took off. He spent just the one season in Norman, but it was an impactful one. The Sooners tied a program record with seven wins in 2022, including a Big 12 title. Gotterup filled the trophy case that spring, winning Big 12 Golfer of the Year as well as the Haskins Award and Jack Nicklaus Award as the nation’s top player, to go along with a consensus first-team All-American selection. He then finished one shot out of a playoff in the individual competition for the NCAA championship.
Gotterup turned pro in 2022 and has struggled to find his footing at the highest level. He finally broke through in 2024, winning the Myrtle Beach Classic. Contending for the Scottish Open, though, might be his most impressive professional feat yet, and if he can find a way to hang on to win, he’d earn a spot in The Open Championship at Royal Portrush.
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