Gotterup wins a major Deere

Writing from Silvis, Illinois

Sunday, July 5, 2026

Those who believe the John Deere Classic is the runt of the PGA Tour haven’t been around Chris Gotterup. Earlier this year, at no less than the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Gotterup said the Deere was his personal fifth major.

Sunday at TPC Deere Run, Gotterup showed why. Starting the day five strokes behind the leaders, right on the edge of being considered in contention, Gotterup fired a 9-under-par 62 to first jump into the fight and then into a tie for the lead, and finally the outright lead.

There he stayed. Finishing an hour ahead of overnight leaders Lucas Glover and Lee Hodges, with no less than perennial contender Zach Johnson and the likes of Rickie Fowler to jump over, Gotterup won the 55th Deere by a stroke over fast-closing Max Homa and by two over Glover, Hodges and Ben Kohles, who was tied with Gotterup on the 18th fairway and splashed his approach at the last, leading to a double-bogey.

Gotterup was on the range at that moment, alternating between hitting warmup shots and watching on his phone. When Kohles finished, Gotterup and his caddie, younger brother Patrick, had a long embrace, and Gotterup had tears in his eyes during his first interview.

“They’ve been super nice to me,” Gotterup said. “Clair (Peterson, then the tournament director) gave me an exemption four years ago. That kick-started my career.”

Gotterup finished fourth in the 2022 Deere and was on his way. The 26-year-old has now won five times on the PGA Tour, and four times in the last 52 weeks. After his triumph, he was one of 33 players to board the Deere-supplied charter to the Scottish Open, where he’s the defending champion. Given his position entering the round and the need to hop over some notables, this might have been his least likely victory.

“I really felt like I grinded it out this week,” Gotterup said. “Today it kind of all came together, but the first three days I didn’t have my best stuff.”

He noted his “not so good” stuff is now better than it was. Sunday, his best stuff was golden. He one-putted 13 greens, needed only 23 putts, and was 4-for-4 scrambling in a round that was bogey free.

His best shot was the chip shot from 44 feet to 32 inches on the par-5 17th to set up a birdie putt and the 20-under status that earned him the title.

“My short game has been kind of iffy over the last couple of weeks, which is why I wanted to keep playing and getting good reps,” Gotterup said. “It’s a mix of hitting it in the right spots, and I did a great job of that today. It’s not going to happen very day, but when it happens, usually good things happen.” 

He was hardly playing slovenly golf earlier in the week. He made only three bogeys in his first 54 holes.

Kohles would have paid good money for a par on the 18th and instead spent it with the hook that caromed off the sloped rough to the left of the green, bounding off the stone and into the pond. He needed a miracle chip-in to force a playoff, and even after a drop from a sprinkler head that gave him a 45-foot putt, managed only a double-bogey 6.

“I was a little in between (clubs),” Kohles said. “I hit an 8-iron and thought 9 was going to be too short. I was trying to hit a three-quarter punch shot. Tugged it a little.

“Obviously sucks to just have that happen on the final hole, but hey, I learned a lot about myself."

If not for Gotterup’s 62, Homa would be holding the trophy. His 7-under 64 matched the second-low round of the day.

“I had a good chance to catch him; he just played better,” Homa said. “He’s a phenomenal golfer. I tip my cap but that’s not exactly how I felt out there. I just needed to be a little sharper.”

Around the Deere

Arlington Heights native Doug Ghim finished tied for sixth after a 3-under 68 for 17-under 267, good for a $297,000 check. … Amateur Preston Stout used a final round 69 to finish tied for 15th at 14-under 270. … Fan favorite Zach Johnson posted a final round 68 for 16-under 268, tying for ninth. … Gotterup’s haul was $1,584,000, a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour, and 500 points in the playoff race, where he’s now sixth. … Deere Run averaged 68.684 strokes Sunday, just off the record fourth-round low of 68.660 two years ago. For the week, Deere Run took 69.330 strokes to negotiate, 1.670 strokes under par, fourth lowest in Deere history and second-lowest at TPC Deere Run (69.190 in 2010 was the low).

– Tim Cronin