By Roy J. Akers — www.skyviewsports.net
Chris Gotterup won the Sony Open, and it always helps when you win at a course you love. Chris Gotterup won for the third time in his PGA Tour career. Gotterup loves the start to his 2026 PGA Tour season.
THE MODERATOR: Like to welcome Chris Gotterup -up
into the interview room, our 2026 Sony Open in Hawai’i.
Chris, you win on the PGA TOUR for the third straight
season. Just get some comments on getting into the
winner’s circle once again.
CHRIS GOTTERUP: Yeah, we were talking in the car.
You know, I would’ve loved to do it, and I didn’t know if it
would come this early, but this is a big win for me in terms
of all the other stuff that comes with it.
But to kick off the year like this is really just a — I mean,
couldn’t have drawn it up any better. Yeah, I mean, hasn’t
really sunk in yet, but couldn’t be happier about it.
Q. I know winning in Hawai’i is special to you. I can
tell you just love this place.
CHRIS GOTTERUP: Yeah, for me I’ve been staying
downtown in Honolulu. I walk around the town every night.
I’ve been going to the same coffee place every morning.
I just really enjoy it. It’s a great way to kick off the year.
I’ve moved to Florida, but it’s nice coming to Hawai’i.
You’re looking out the window in dining and it’s the ocean.
Not many places like this.
Q. Davis had a three-shot lead at one point on the
front nine. How much were you watching? How much
did you know where you stood? And then talk about
the rest of the round from that point on.
CHRIS GOTTERUP: Yeah, I was paying attention all day.
Kind of was one of those days where like it felt like to me
that I got off to a good to start, which was important, but it
felt like it was kind of just like stalled and it was anyone’s
tournament.
Then I kind of made a couple nice putts and I saw a couple
people drop back. I know Ryan played a great tournament
and he tried to make a run at the end. Couple other guys
played great and I just held them off.
- One of the things you said on Golf Channel when it
- was over is this kind of feels like home. Trying to
- figure out if you’re talking about Oklahoma, Jersey, or
- Florida?
- CHRIS GOTTERUP: I’ve had a lot more homes than I
- planned on, but New Jersey, because the way this course
- sets up it’s very old school. I know this is a Seth Raynor
- and it’s just the way the course — you play the course, it
- feels a lot like Plainfield or — I’m trying to think — Baltusrol.
- The way the course is designed — obviously the grass is
- different, the views are different — but it’s just the way you
- play the golf course reminds me a lot of how I grew up
- playing.
- So that is a comforting feeling. I know the kind of golf
- that’s required and there is a set of — it’s a fine line of
- bomb-and-gouge and also needing to be in the fairway.
- I did enough of finding the fairway this week.
- Q. On that, where did you play your golf growing up?
- CHRIS GOTTERUP: I played at Rumson Country Club.
- That’s where I grew up and still play there a bunch.
- Q. When you talked about the latter, there was a
- number of holes that really set you apart: 12, 13, 16, I
- know you didn’t birdie it, but some of the tougher
- holes.
- CHRIS GOTTERUP: Yeah.
- Q. Talk about the shots you were hitting and the
- shapes you were trying to hit.
- CHRIS GOTTERUP: Yeah, 12, 12 all week has been
- down off the right, which is a great wind for me on that
- hole.
- I just hit a hard cut off the wind and hopefully find the
- fairway,
