Chris Gotterup was on the driving range, waiting to see if he would have to play in a playoff. When Ben Kohles missed his par putt, Gotterup realized he had won. He broke down in tears, and the first person he hugged was his younger brother, Patrick.

"Obviously Brady, who caddies for me normally, had a kid last week, and we kind of planned this out a couple of months ago," Gotterup said at the post-round press conference, per a transcript by ASAP Sports.

Patrick Gotterup caddied for his older brother all week after Chris' regular caddie, Brady Stockton, stayed home to care for a newborn.

"We were just planning on having a fun week and obviously try to come win, but to have it actually happen is cool and just a special moment that we'll never forget," Gotterup added, per a transcript by ASAP Sports.

Gotterup's brother, Patrick, took paid time off from work to caddie for him during the tournament. After the victory, Gotterup joked that he hoped his brother would be able to get one more day of paid leave from work, adding that the experience had been special.

Gotterup won the 2026 John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois, on Sunday, July 5. He shot a bogey-free 9-under 62 in the final round and finished the tournament at 20-under 264.

He won by one shot over Max Homa. The $8.8 million purse awarded $1,584,000 to Gotterup, his third win of the year and fifth of his career.

Gotterup first received a sponsor exemption to this tournament in 2022 with no status anywhere on Tour. "I've really liked this tournament. They've been super nice to me," he said. Four years later, he's the champion.

Gotterup started the final round on Sunday five shots behind the leaders and was not considered the favorite to win. After the round, he admitted he had not expected the outcome before teeing off, saying he only began to believe as the round unfolded. 

He went on to make nine birdies, one-putted 13 greens, and needed only 23 putts during a brilliant round.

Chris Gotterup’s win cements a career turnaround that began at this same tournament

A year ago this week, Gotterup was ranked No. 165 in the world with one Tour win. He is now a five-time PGA Tour winner and is expected to move up from No. 14 in the world rankings.

Gotterup won the 2025 Genesis Scottish Open by beating Rory McIlroy. He then won the Sony Open and the WM Phoenix Open at the start of 2026. The John Deere Classic is his third PGA Tour win of the year, tying Matt Fitzpatrick for the most individual Tour wins in 2026.

Gotterup called this tournament his "fifth major" earlier in the year at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He explained why.

"I got a spot here in '22 from Clair. It really kick-started my whole career, honestly," he said, per the same transcript. "To be able to come back and win makes it even more special."

He defends his Genesis Scottish Open title at the Renaissance Club next week.

Do you think Chris Gotterup is now one of the PGA Tour's elite players? Drop your thoughts in the comments.

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Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Shubhi Rathore