Chris Gotterup’s star continues to rise fast on the PGA TOUR. On Sunday at Waialae Country Club, Gotterup fired a bogey-free 6-under 64 to claim the 2026 Sony Open in Hawaii at 16-under par, earning his third career TOUR title in just his 69th start.
The 26-year-old from New Jersey finished two shots ahead of 54-hole leader Davis Riley, securing the largest winning margin at the Sony Open since Matt Kuchar’s win in 2019. The victory also marked Gotterup’s first time winning after trailing through 54 holes — he began the final round two strokes behind Riley before storming ahead with a front-nine surge and steady putting down the stretch.
“It feels amazing to get it done here,” Gotterup said after sealing the win. “I loved coming back to Waialae after last year and knowing I could contend. To finish it off this way means a lot.”
Gotterup matched his career-low final-round score (64), a mark he previously shot at the 2025 CJ CUP Byron Nelson. His victory comes in his second Sony Open appearance, after missing the cut in 2025.
The win puts Gotterup in elite company as the first player since Tom Kim in 2023 to notch his first three PGA TOUR victories in fewer than 70 starts. It’s also his second triumph in his last eight starts, following his win at the 2025 Genesis Scottish Open, building on his breakthrough performance at the 2024 ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic.
With the win, he earns 500 FedExCup points and becomes the first FedExCup leader of the 2026 season. His TOUR exemption is now extended through 2028. Gotterup’s rise continues to draw comparisons to some of the TOUR’s brightest young stars. Six of the last seven Sony Open in Hawaii champions have come from behind on Sunday — and Gotterup’s composed performance amid breezy island conditions cements him as one of golf’s emerging contenders.
