Gotterup Leaves Contenders behind in Myrtle Beach Victory; Van Rooyen Is T4

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. -- Chris Gotterup dominated NCAA Division I college golf during his final year at the University of Oklahoma. He won the Haskins Award, which goes to the player of the year. He would have won the individual title at the 2022 NCAA Championships, except that he missed a series of short putts coming down the stretch, including one for par at the 18th hole, and that kiept him out of a four-man playoff for medalist honors that Vanderbilt's Gordon Sargent won with a birdie on the first extra hole.

Playing in his 27th PGA Tour event during the last week, the 24-year-old Gotterup dominated the Myrtle Beach Classic beginning with Friday's second round. That was when he shot a 7-under-par 64 at The Dunes Golf & Beach Club to take a one-stroke lead. He expanded it to four with a 65 on Saturday, and overcame a shaky start Sunday to shoot a 67 and win by six with a 72-hole total of 262 (22 under).

Alistair Docherty came from a tie for 19th to finish in a tie for second at 268, along with Davis Thompson, thanks to a valedictory 64. Thompson closed with a 68.

Erik Van Rooyen, 34, was part of a six-way tie for forth at 269. Van Rooyen has won twice on the PGA Tour, most recently in November, but he won for the first time as a professional at the Tapemark Charity Pro-Am at Southview Country Club in 2016. The former University of Minnesota star -- and 2012 Minnesota State Amateur champion -- made six birdies at The Dunes on Saturday in a third-round 65, and he spent much of that afternoon alone in second, behind only Gotterup. Van Rooyen ended the day in a three-way tie for second. But he made only two birdies in the first 14 holes on Sunday, and he had to birdie three of the last four holes to salvage a 70 and get into that tie for fourth.

Gotterup's first PGA Tour victory was worth $720,000, and a spot in this week's PGA Championship. It doesn't get him into next year's Masters or either of the two big-money/no-cut signature events that are left on the tour's 2024 calendar, but he'll have other chances to make up for that, because he has exempt status on the tour through the end of 2026.

Even though he began the final day of the tournament with a four-shot lead, things didn't look all that good for him early on. He bogeyed the first two holes, but staged a major bounce back with a birdie at the 454-yard, par-4 fourth, an eagle at the 526-yard, par-5 fifth and another birdie at the 188-yard, par-3 fifth. There was a hiccup at the 11th, which he bogeyed, but the long-hitting Gotterup -- he's No. 2 on the PGA Tour's Driving Distance stats, with an average of 315.8 yards -- birdied the 615-yard, par-5 13th, the 538-yard, par-5 15th and the par-4 16th.

His bogey at the par 3 17th didn't really make any difference, and Gotterup got the lost stroke back anyway, with a birdie at the 18th.


Myrtle Beach Classic

At The Dunes Golf & Beach Club

Par 71, 7,347 yards

Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Final results

1. Chris Gotterup $720,000 66-64-65-67--262

T2. Davis Thompson $356,000 65-68-67-68--268

T2. Alistair Docherty $356,000 65-68-71-64--268

T4. Erik Van Rooyen $147,000 67-67-65-70--269

T4. Ryan McCormick $147,000 68-68-69-64--269

T4. Beau Hossler $147,000 64-69-69-67--269

T4. Kevin Hu $147,000 67-69-66-67--269

T4. Jorge Campello $147,000 66-66-67-70--269

T4. Ryan Fox $147,000 70-66-66-67--269

T40. Troy Merritt $16,200 68-71-67-71--277