Chris Gotterup was brought to tears on the driving range at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois, on Sunday when he got word he had won the 2026 John Deere Classic.
It’s not because he is a stranger to winning. In fact, it was his third victory in the last seven months. No, this one spurred extra emotion for the 26-year-old from New Jersey because it was a family affair. His usual caddie, Brady Stockton, is home with a newborn baby, so Gotterup’s little brother, Patrick, was called up to the big leagues to carry his kin’s bag.
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“It’s such a cool moment,” Gotterup said. “Obviously Brady, who caddies for me normally, had a kid last week, and we kind of planned this out a couple of months ago. [Patrick and I] 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.”
Chris Gotterup of the United States and caddie Patrick Gotterup pose with the winner’s trophy after winning the John Deere Classic 2026 at TPC Deere Run on July 05, 2026 in Silvis, Illinois.
Gotterup was virtually flawless Sunday, firing a bogey-free, 9-under 62 in the final round to erase the five-shot deficit he faced to start the day. He posted 20-under 264 in total to win by one shot over Max Homa, who finished solo second, and by two over Ben Kohles, who held the lead for much of the day before a disastrous final hole.
“I really felt like I grinded it out this week,” Gotterup said. “Today it kind of all came together, but the first three days I didn’t have my best stuff. I talked about it earlier in the week that even my not-so-good stuff has gotten a lot better, which is great. Then obviously to come out today and to shoot 9 under was awesome. Definitely not what I had in the cards, but I’ll take those cards dealt to me, for sure.”
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A year ago this week, Gotterup was ranked No. 165 in the world and had only one Tour win to his name. Now, he’s a five-time winner and will certainly move up from his current standing at No. 14 in the Official World Golf Ranking. Gotterup shocked the world when he out-dueled Rory McIlroy to win the 2025 Genesis Scottish Open, a title he’ll defend at the Renaissance Club this coming week. Then, he established himself as one of the Tour’s premier players with a win at the season-opening Sony Open in Hawaii and another three weeks later at the 2026 WM Phoenix Open.
And with his victory at the John Deere Classic, it’s safe to say he’s not the plucky underdog he was exactly one year ago. He’s not even just a middling Tour player who contends from time-to-time. He’s a bonafide star.
Chris Gotterup raises the trophy over his head after winning the 2026 John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois.
“We’re all crazy, golfers. The bads feel really bad even though they’re not that bad, and the goods feel like you’re unbeatable. Today I obviously had a really good day,” Gotterup said. “This whole year has been really good, if you look at it in a big picture. I obviously got off to a great start and was grinding it out in the middle of the year, but that’s not unexpected.
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“Hopefully this kick-starts some other great stuff. I’d be lying if I said this year wasn’t a massive success.”
On Sunday, Gotterup rolled in a 10-foot birdie putt at the first and from there, he was off to the races, making three straight birdies on Nos. 3-5 and adding another at the 224-yard par-3 seventh, where he stuck his tee shot to just 12 feet. After carding a 5-under 30 on the front nine, Gotterup officially put the field on notice when he birdied the 10th to get to 17 under and into a tie for second, but he was still three shots behind Kohles.
Two more excellent approach shots led to two more birdies for Gotterup at Nos. 13 and 14, but his hopes of winning hung in the balance on the 15th when he drove it into the right rough and had to hit a punch shot to avoid a tree, which caromed over the green. His third shot was a tricky one — a 20-yard pitch from the long rough to a green sloping away from him — and he couldn’t afford to make a bogey. Gotterup executed it to perfection, throwing his ball high in the air and checking it up less than three feet from the flag for a tap-in par.
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Gotterup’s nerves were tested again at the par-5 17th, which played as the second easiest hole on the course this week, yielding 19 eagles and more than 200 birdies. Gotterup went for the green with his second shot from the first cut of rough and missed right, his ball finding the collection area below the flag, leaving a difficult up-and-down. He found the green with his third, but the ball traveled farther than he wanted, leaving him just under 15 feet for a crucial birdie. The putt swung from right to left and rolled in the center of the cup, giving him the solo lead at 20 under.
Ben Kohles collapses on final hole
Kohles tied the lead again with a birdie at the par-3 16th, but after a par on No. 17, disaster struck. The 36-year-old from Dallas hit a perfect drive on the 18th, leaving him with just 162 yards from the middle of the fairway. Then, his hopes of nabbing his maiden win on the PGA Tour were dashed as he hooked his second shot into the water to the left side of the green.
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“I was kind of a little in between [clubs],” Kohles said. “I hit an 8-iron and thought 9 was going to be too short and thought if I hit a full 8, it could have a chance of going over. So I was just trying to hit kind of a three-quarter punch shot. Yeah, just tugged it a little, and obviously ended up in the water.”
After a taking drop, Kohles went on to three-putt for double bogey, falling back into a tie for third at 18 under. This marked Kohles’ ninth straight week of competitive golf between the PGA Tour, Korn Ferry Tour and the U.S. Open, for which he had to make it through final qualifying. That nine-event stretch included a win at the KFT’s BMW Charity Pro-Am last month. He’ll play a 10th consecutive tournament at the PGA Tour’s ISCO Championship next week.
“I’m proud of the way I played,” Kohles said. “I played awesome all week. You know, obviously sucks to just have that happen on the last hole, but hey, I learned a lot about myself. Me and my caddie are doing such a good job, and it’s only going to make me better going forward.”
Ben Kohles of the United States reacts after a putt on the 18th green during the final round of the John Deere Classic 2026 at TPC Deere Run on July 05, 2026 in Silvis, Illinois.
Gotterup was on the driving range preparing for extra holes when he was informed Kohles had missed his par attempt at the 18th. After nearly an hour of waiting, he could relax.
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“Obviously to not have to go into a playoff is nice, but I was ready to go for a playoff if need be,” Gotterup said.
Max Homa records best finish since 2023
Kohles’ double bogey on the 72nd hole not only secured the victory for Gotterup, but it also gave Homa his best finish in more than three years. Homa made eight birdies en route to a 7-under 64 in the final round, but he missed a birdie look from the fringe on No. 18 to come up one shy of forcing a playoff.
“I don’t think you tip your cap [to Gotterup], I had a good chance to catch him. He just played better,” Homa said. “He’s a phenomenal golfer. I obviously tip my cap in reality, but that’s not exactly how I felt out there. It was nice, honestly, to have him go out there and post a number and get going because my goal to start Saturday was to get to 20, and he got there quicker than I thought. So that was just nice to see.
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“He’s obviously a phenomenal golfer. I got to play with him yesterday. He’s like the nicest dude, too. Very happy with the way he played. I had my chances. I just needed to be a little sharper.”
Max Homa of the United States celebrates after holing out on the ninth green during the final round of the John Deere Classic 2026 at TPC Deere Run on July 05, 2026 in Silvis, Illinois.
Still, it’s a result worth celebrating for Homa, who has struggled to find his form since winning five times in a two-year span, from 2021-2023. He has just two top five finishes since the beginning of 2025, but both of those came at the John Deere Classic.
“[The JDC] is great. This crowd is just incredible. They’re so kind to me, and it’s so fun,” Homa said. “I love the golf course. I never really had played well at a place where you got to go deep to win or to contend. Maybe this is the one spot I could figure that out at. I usually avoid places where the scores are 20-under, but it suits my game really nicely. I feel like I’ve done a good job with reading the greens here, too, which is a bonus.”
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Nick Stavas is a digital producer and commerce writer for Golfweek. Follow him on X/Twitter (@nickstavas).
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Chris Gotterup storms from behind at John Deere Classic for third PGA Tour win in 2026
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