Chris Gotterup begins 2026 PGA TOUR season with a win at the Sony Open

Chris Gotterup wasted no time making a statement to start the 2026 PGA Tour season. He showed up at Waialae, took control on Sunday, and walked away with a big win at the Sony Open.

A closing 6-under 64 got Chris Gotterup to 16-under for the week and a two-shot win that was never really in doubt once he put his foot down on the back nine.

This one matters because of where he was not that long ago. Two years ago, Gotterup came to Hawaii as part of the rookie orientation group and was told there was no room for him in the field. Last year, he missed the cut and was buried at No. 195 in the world. Now he is a Sony Open champion and up to No. 17 in the rankings.

Chris Gotterup claims third PGA TOUR victory at the Sony Open

Starting off the season with a win 🏆

Chris Gotterup claims his third TOUR victory @SonyOpenHawaii! pic.twitter.com/QUbeFI2RbL

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 19, 2026

Chris Gotterup won this tournament with authority. He rolled in a 20-footer on 12, then buried a 25-footer on 13, the hardest hole on the course. That stretch broke the field. He finished it off with a clutch tee shot on the par-3 17th that led to another birdie and effectively ended the tournament right there.

He also got the assist from the golf gods when 54-hole leader Davis Riley stepped on a rake and kept stepping. Riley had a two-shot lead, then went back-to-back three-putt bogey, then hit a wild drive left on 8 that turned into double. He went from controlling the tournament to chasing it in about ten minutes and never recovered, closing with a 71 and sliding to a tie for sixth.

Gotterup adds another birdie to the card to lead by 3. https://t.co/xM6XBlRc8p pic.twitter.com/47draEIhHQ

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 19, 2026

Behind Chris Gotterup, Ryan Gerard made it interesting late with a 65 to finish solo second. Patrick Rodgers did the usual “almost” thing again, closing with a 65 for third, which is now nine top-3 finishes since 2015 without a win. That is impressive in the worst way. Vijay Singh, 62 years old and playing on a career money exemption, posted three sub-70 rounds on the week and finished tied for 40th. That is ridiculous and kind of awesome.

The other storyline is the calendar. This was the season opener because The Sentry at Kapalua got canceled for 2026 due to drought and water conservation issues and the course not being able to meet Tour standards.

It matters because the Hawaii swing feels shaky. Sony’s title sponsorship runs through 2026, and reporting has made it clear the Tour is considering big schedule changes that could push Hawaii out of the picture starting in 2027.

Either way, the Tour has its first statement winner of 2026. Chris Gotterup is not just a “good story” anymore. He has three wins in three years and he is starting to look like a guy who is going to be around for all the big conversations.

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