‘Hometown Hero’: Monmouth County Golfer Wins Scottish Open

LITTLE SILVER, NJ — A Monmouth County golfer is making New Jersey proud after he won the Genesis Scottish Open on Sunday.

Chris Gotterup, 25, won his second PGA Tour title after beating his competitors during the Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick on Sunday, including Grand Slam Champion Rory McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick.

The competition is the last part of the Open Qualifying Series, according to GOLF. Now that he’s won the Scottish Open, Gotterup will have a spot in next week’s British Open Championship at Royal Portrush.

“I’m so thrilled to be the Scottish Open champ,” Gotterup said in an online post following his victory. “I conquered links golf this week, and I’m excited to get after it at the open next week. Thank you!”

Gotterup, a Rutgers University alum, has also won the 2024 Myrtle Beach Classic in addition to his Scottish Open victory, according to his PGA Tour bio. While he was born in Maryland, he grew up and played in Little Silver over the years.

Gotterup also comes from a family of athletes, according to his bio. His father, Morten, has five NJ State Golf Association victories, and his sister, Anna, attends the U.S. Naval Academy and competes on the women’s lacrosse team.

Following his victory on Sunday, Gotterup received plenty of love from friends, family, and fellow New Jerseyans, including Rutgers Golf Head Coach Rob Shutte, who described his win as “a monumental accomplishment.”

"We are unbelievably proud of Chris," Shutte said in a Rutgers Golf article. "This is a monumental accomplishment and a testament to his hard work, talent, and belief in himself. Watching him compete and succeed at the highest level is inspiring for our entire program and the Rutgers community. He's always represented us with pride, and now the world is seeing what we've known all along."

Alongside Shutte, the Borough of Little Silver also offered their congratulations to Gotterup, naming him as their “hometown hero.”

“Congratulations to Chris Gotterup, Little Silver’s hometown hero, on his victory over Rory McIlroy at the Scottish Open!!” the borough said in an online post. “We wish Chris and his family all the best, and look forward to more great news from this 25-year-old golf phenom!!”

In a post-competition interview, Gotterup fought back tears as he took in the moment, adding that he can’t wait to see his loved ones before going on to play in the Open Championship next week.

“I just hung in there tight,” Gotterup said of the competition. “After my start this week, I really just struggled, and then I found something on Friday. Today, I knew it was going to be a grind, and yesterday it was a grind too…But I held it together really well, and man, it was so much fun out there.”