Chris Gotterup has surely booked his ticket to the 2026 Presidents Cup with his third victory of the season at the John Deere Classic.
Keegan Bradley was very much mistaken if he thought that he may be vindicated for overlooking Chris Gotterup for last year’s Ryder Cup. The 26-year-old has kicked on in some style in 2026.
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Gotterup has now won the Sony Open in Hawaii, the WM Phoenix Open, and at TPC Deere Run. It now appears to be a matter of time before he wins a signature event – or perhaps an even bigger prize.
And he may also be the answer to the dilemma facing Brandt Snedeker when it comes to what to do with Scottie Scheffler.
Brandt Snedeker may have solved his Scottie Scheffler dilemma ahead of the Presidents Cup
It is fair to say that Scheffler has not played like the world’s best player when representing his country in team events during his career.
He has certainly had brilliant moments, including beating Jon Rahm in singles on his Ryder Cup debut in 2021.
It had appeared that Team USA may have found an ideal partner for Scheffler during the 2024 Presidents Cup, with the four-time major champion looking extremely comfortable alongside Russell Henley.
Unfortunately, they had a torrid time together at the Ryder Cup the following year. Neither Scheffler nor Henley were anywhere near their best at Bethpage.
They ended up losing both of their matches together.
With one eye on the 2027 Ryder Cup at Adare Manor, it would arguably be wise to look at Scheffler alongside someone else at Medinah.
And Gotterup may be a perfect option, particularly in the fourballs.
Chris Gotterup could take much of the pressure off Scottie Scheffler
Gotterup has shown that he is not overawed by an occasion. Much has been made of the fact that he battled it out with Rory McIlroy on his way to winning the Scottish Open last summer.
And it was remarkable to see him outperform Scheffler by 10 shots when they played together during the opening round at TPC Scottsdale earlier this season.
As noted by Justin Ray on X, Gotterup also became the first player over the last 40 years to win three PGA Tour events in a season having shot 64 or better in the final round.
He is someone who will make plenty of birdies.
Gotterup has that same explosive style that made Cameron Young a revelation last year in New York. He could easily steal the show and take much of the pressure off Scheffler.
And if the pair click, it could be a phenomenal partnership to set in stone for next year’s Ryder Cup.
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