Chris Gotterup wins for the third time this season.
ANDY LYONS, GETTY IMAGES
Chris Gotterup has finally repaid his debt to the Quad Cities.
Gotterup roared from behind to claim the 2026 John Deere Classic on Sunday, turning in a scintillating final-round 62 to capture his fifth PGA Tour title. The victory came almost four years to the day after a sponsor exemption into the same tournament helped kick-start Gotterup’s professional career.
Entering the final round five shots off the pace set by Lucas Glover and Lee Hodges, Gotterup burst out of the gate with a birdie on the opening hole. He carded a 5-under-par 30 on the front nine to place himself squarely in contention, all while playing significantly ahead of the final group. He maintained the pressure on the back nine, pouring in three more birdies before dropping a 15-foot breaker on the penultimate hole to snag a share of the lead. A routine par at the last sent him to the range to wait on a potential playoff, but his 20-under 264 total was ultimately enough to secure an unlikely comeback victory.
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“I really felt like I grinded it out this week,” said Gotterup, who finished one shot ahead of Max Homa. “Obviously to come out today and to shoot 9-under was awesome. Definitely not what I had in the cards, but I’ll take those cards dealt to me, for sure.”
The hard-fought triumph proved emotional for the New Jersey product. With his regular caddie Brady Stockton out on paternity leave, Gotterup won with his brother, Patrick, on the bag.
However, before it became a family affair, the tournament was close to Gotterup’s heart. A letter-induced sponsor exemption into the 2022 John Deere Classic, which he parlayed into a T4 finish, helped him find his footing as a young professional – a fact that Gotterup remained mindful of in victory.
“It really kick-started my whole career, honestly,” he said. “At that time I had no status anywhere. To get a fourth here was the biggest tournament of my life at that point. Obviously we’re biased towards places that we play well at and that we like, and this is one of those for me. To be able to come back and win makes it even more special.”
The victory came at the expense of Korn Ferry Tour regular Ben Kohles, who entered the 72nd hole with a share of the lead before finding the water with his final approach of the tournament. A disastrous double bogey dropped Kohles to a T3 finish with Glover and Hodges in his ninth consecutive week of competitive golf.
“Tough way to finish, especially how I played all day,” Kohles said. “Going 10 in a row playing next week at ISCO [Championship], so hopefully I can keep the momentum rolling and try to get it done.”
“In my profession this is like another home for me for so many reasons. It's pretty simple. If JDC wants me back, I’m going to come back.”
Zach Johnson
Almost exactly a year after his T11 finish at TPC Deere Run as a sophomore at Auburn, Jackson Koivun made his professional debut last week amidst a swirl of expectations. However, the former world No. 1 amateur was slow off the blocks. A typically exceptional putter, Koivun was betrayed by his flat stick en route to missing the cut at 1-over par.
Preston Stout, Koivun’s heir to the top spot in the amateur game, stood out among the tournament’s younger contingent. The reigning NCAA individual champion posted a T15 finish at 14-under par, his best result to date in a PGA Tour event.
On the other end of the age spectrum, 50-year-old Zach Johnson eschewed the U.S. Senior Open to make his 24th start at the John Deere, a decision that paid off with a T9 finish at 16-under.
“In my profession this is like another home for me for so many reasons,” Johnson said prior to the tournament. “It's pretty simple. If JDC wants me back, I’m going to come back.”
Gotterup joins Matt Fitzpatrick as the only two players to record three PGA Tour victories this season. He will head across the Atlantic this week to defend his title at the Genesis Scottish Open before making his way to Royal Birkdale for the Open Championship.
Daniel Polce
