Chris Gotterup earned a maiden PGA TOUR triumph in the inaugural Myrtle Beach Classic to seal a place at the upcoming PGA Championship.
The 24-year-old American entered the final round at the Dunes Golf and Beach Club in South Carolina with a healthy four-shot advantage but consecutive bogeys in the first two holes saw him be put under pressure. However, Gotterup responded to the early wobble with birdie-eagle-birdie in the following three holes. He went onto birdie four more holes on the back nine to close the tournament with a four-under 67 and seal a convincing six-shot victory.
“I felt good, like better than I thought I would feel coming out of the gates even though I made two bogeys,” Gotterup said. “Kind of a crappy putt on the first hole and a really tough two-putt on the next. Then to bounce back the way I did, it’s just kind of how I roll.
“If I’m going to make a bogey, I’m going to get my head screwed back on straight, at least attempt to, and then bounce back. No matter what tournament or what my game feels like, I’m going to grind it out. That’s kind of how I’ve always been.”
American duo Davis Thompson and Alistair Docherty tied for second on 16 under while there was a tie for fourth between six players featuring Americans Beau Hossler and Ryan McCormick, Taiwan’s Chun An Yu, Spain’s Jorge Campillo, South Africa’s Erik van Rooyen, and New Zealand’s Ryan Fox.
What is the next event?
The next event on the PGA TOUR schedule is the PGA Championship taking place between 16-19 May at Valhalla Golf Course.