SONY OPEN IN HAWAII

January 18, 2026

Chris Gotterup

Waialae Country Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Like to welcome Chris Gotterup -up into the interview room, our 2026 Sony Open in Hawai'i. Chris, you win on the PGA TOUR for the third straight season. Just get some comments on getting into the winner's circle once again.

CHRIS GOTTERUP: Yeah, we were talking in the car. You know, I would've loved to do it, and I didn't know if it would come this early, but this is a big win for me in terms of all the other stuff that comes with it.

But to kick off the year like this is really just a -- I mean, couldn't have drawn it up any better. Yeah, I mean, hasn't really sunk in yet, but couldn't be happier about it.

Q. I know winning in Hawai'i is special to you. I can tell you just love this place.

CHRIS GOTTERUP: Yeah, for me I've been staying downtown in Honolulu. I walk around the town every night. I've been going to the same coffee place every morning.

I just really enjoy it. It's a great way to kick off the year. I've moved to Florida, but it's nice coming to Hawai'i. You're looking out the window in dining and it's the ocean. Not many places like this.

Q. Davis had a three-shot lead at one point on the front nine. How much were you watching? How much did you know where you stood? And then talk about the rest of the round from that point on.

CHRIS GOTTERUP: Yeah, I was paying attention all day. Kind of was one of those days where like it felt like to me that I got off to a good to start, which was important, but it felt like it was kind of just like stalled and it was anyone's tournament.

Then I kind of made a couple nice putts and I saw a couple people drop back. I know Ryan played a great tournament and he tried to make a run at the end. Couple other guys played great and I just held them off.

Q. One of the things you said on Golf Channel when it was over is this kind of feels like home. Trying to figure out if you're talking about Oklahoma, Jersey, or Florida?

CHRIS GOTTERUP: I've had a lot more homes than I planned on, but New Jersey, because the way this course sets up it's very old school. I know this is a Seth Raynor and it's just the way the course -- you play the course, it feels a lot like Plainfield or -- I'm trying to think -- Baltusrol. The way the course is designed -- obviously the grass is different, the views are different -- but it's just the way you play the golf course reminds me a lot of how I grew up playing.

So that is a comforting feeling. I know the kind of golf that's required and there is a set of -- it's a fine line of bomb-and-gouge and also needing to be in the fairway.

I did enough of finding the fairway this week.

Q. On that, where did you play your golf growing up?

CHRIS GOTTERUP: I played at Rumson Country Club. That's where I grew up and still play there a bunch.

Q. When you talked about the latter, there was a number of holes that really set you apart: 12, 13, 16, I know you didn't birdie it, but some of the tougher holes.

CHRIS GOTTERUP: Yeah.

Q. Talk about the shots you were hitting and the shapes you were trying to hit.

CHRIS GOTTERUP: Yeah, 12, 12 all week has been down off the right, which is a great wind for me on that hole.

I just hit a hard cut off the wind and hopefully find the fairway, and I think I've hit the fairway every day this week.

13 is a beast of a hole with the wind in off the left, and I just hit one good enough to cover the bunker. I was in that bunker two, three times this week, and to be in the fairway and have a 9-iron in on that hole is huge.

You know, I didn't hit the best shots in the world, but I hit where I needed to be, 25 feet, 25 feet, and I happened to make a couple of those, which was a huge momentum swing.

Q. Congratulations, and I'll ask you later about downtown Honolulu. Anyway, regarding today, on 18 could you talk a little bit about the strategy of just staying on the fairway? And then did you have to talk to your caddie? I know previous comments you talked about talking with your caddie about things.

CHRIS GOTTERUP: Yeah, 18 for me, in the past I tried to hit driver over the corner and could not hit the fairway. That rough through the fairway is no good.

For me we just took something that was guaranteed to be in the fairway. Whether I had 250 in, we sucked it up and took 250 in. I felt like I had a better chance of playing well on that hole having 250 in than trying to needle something up the left and have 180 in. And today was -- I would've gone for it if I needed to make a birdie.

I just laid up because you can get a nasty lie in the rough, and I'm going to try to minimize any mistake I can make coming up the stretch. I knew what Ryan did and, yeah, we just played it smarter today.

The other day I hit 4-iron too and hit 4-iron into the green and got up and down for birdie, so it was a lot more strategy this year. I feel like I got better at the courses that I gone to learning from my mistakes in the past and trying to mesh playing aggressive and conservative.

Q. Having two wins under your belt help you with that? Can you compare how you finished those other two?

CHRIS GOTTERUP: Yeah, having a win or two under your belt always helps, coming down the stretch knowing that you've done it and that you're able to execute under pressure. I felt like I did a great job of that today.

Yeah, I mean, it's more of the -- you know, a lot of these tournaments you just kind of got to hang around as long as you can and hang in the fight. I felt like I did a great job of that this week.

Then when I got momentum I kept it and I didn't squander it at any point today.

Q. 17 was a big one.

CHRIS GOTTERUP: Yeah.

Q. What club was that?

CHRIS GOTTERUP: That was a 9-iron. Yeah, we kind of hit a similar shot. The pin was back yesterday and there was a little more wind. I said, I'm going to hit the same shot I hit yesterday.

Yeah, it was a perfect number. I hit a great shot. To make the putt on that hole was kind of like -- it was close enough, and that made 18 a lot easier and a lot less stressful.

But, yeah, to get up and hit a shot like that and finish it off with the putts that I made on the back nine was huge.

Q. When you go back to your rookie season and from Myrtle on to your great British summer, can you speak to the progression you made? I guess mostly have you found either confidence, self-belief, whatever the word is, increasing with each one? How do you measure it?

CHRIS GOTTERUP: Yeah, I really don't know how you measure it honestly. I think it's one of those things where I've been out here for three years now, two and change.

You know, I didn't even get in this tournament my rookie year. I was outside of the number and came here for orientation and flew home.

Q. (No microphone.)

CHRIS GOTTERUP: Yeah, one of those guys.

And last year missed the cut. I think you just -- the more you play -- and like I've talked to a lot of the older guys too, the more you play the more comfortable you are, the more you don't feel like you have to press and grind all the time.

You just get comfortable with being out here and it's a marathon of a season and all this stuff. I think that is a much more freeing feeling than being like, I got to play well this week and it's the first week. Where it's like, all right let's see what happens.

You know, I've been practicing hard at home, and to pull it out is great.

Yeah, and to the progression, I really don't -- you know, I know what we try to do. I think everyone on TOUR will say we're trying all this stuff. Sometimes it clicks; sometimes it doesn't.

Whatever we've done has clicked. I like to think I'm a good listener of my criticism or productive criticism from my team. We sat down a did a bunch of stats stuff at the end of the year. There were a couple things that stood out. Had a great year last year, but there were a couple things that stood out, and that's all I really practiced.

This week I feel like everything I practiced, I had those numbers and those putts. I felt like I -- having practiced that I felt a little more confident in what I was doing.

Q. (No microphone.)

CHRIS GOTTERUP: 100 to 150 I lost like a severe amount of strokes compared to my peers. From 9 feet to 20 feet is -- I didn't make nearly enough putts. Obviously you're not going to make you every one, but one or two more helps, and I did that today on the back nine.

Q. Congratulations on your win today.

CHRIS GOTTERUP: Thank you.

Q. Prior to coming out here for your rookie season had you had any in Hawai'i recreationally, played a round of golf?

CHRIS GOTTERUP: I had never been until orientation, and we sat in the conference room for eight hours.

So my first taste of Hawai'i wasn't the best taste, but that wasn't Hawai'i's fault. We came back. We came back the next year. I really enjoy it.

It was either -- for me with how the schedule laid out, and obviously I got play Maui last year which was amazing, it's just a nice two -- obviously we didn't get to play this year. It's a nice start to the year.

It's just a -- I don't know what it is. I love the beach and I love the ocean. Growing up near the ocean and the beach it just makes you feel good and makes me feel good.

Yeah, I'm going to try to enjoy playing by the beach in 75 degrees every day.

Q. Yeah. We can hear the affinity you have for this place from what you've been saying. Here in Hawai'i there has been a lot of the talk and speculation about the future of this event 2027 and beyond, whether it's back, you know. If you have any thoughts about the future of this event and what happens if you're the last guy to win this thing?

CHRIS GOTTERUP: Yeah, you know, I wish I had the answer for you. I don't. A lot of us -- you know, there is a whole new regime and they're going to do what they think is best for the TOUR.

We have to agree. Not that I don't think it's a bad thing, but to be honest, I'm just spewing nonsense. I really don't know what's going to happen. As a champion I hope it stays because I played well here and it's a great place.

But, yeah, I don't know. Hopefully I'm not the last champion, and, yeah, that's really all I can say about it.

Q. Yeah, what does starting out your season in Hawai'i do for your season as you craft your own schedule?

CHRIS GOTTERUP: Yeah, this year I was lucky enough to be in the Signature Events and all the good stuff, so this is the first time I can actually plan my schedule a little bit. So I wanted to come here and kick the year off right.

You know, doesn't really change much for me schedule-wise coming up because I'm going stick to what I was doing beforehand. Yeah, I wanted to come out here. I think a lot of guys it was 50/50 where do I start, Palm Springs or Hawai'i? For me I love coming out here and obviously love it even more now.

Q. So earlier talking a lot in terms of we. You and your caddie and maybe swing coach, et cetera. Could I get your caddie's name? Talk a little bit about how long you guys have worked together and how he keeps you --

CHRIS GOTTERUP: Yeah.

Q. You talk a lot about the mental side and not screwing up, learning from mistakes.

CHRIS GOTTERUP: Yeah, Brady Stockton, and he's been great. I've gone through a bunch of caddies being my brother, a couple friends, so I feel like that's a very, very, very underrated part of what we do.

You know, they get not as much love when you -- I mean, when you win it's great, but they don't get as much love as they probably deserve. It's a tough job. He's been great. We started at Dominican last year. I don't know what month that is. Whenever that is to now we've been together.

He's been a massive part of my success. He's very similar to me in that we're both relaxed. Like whatever happens, it's not the end of the world. You miss the cut, you go to the next one. If you're playing good, he keeps me down.

Yeah, we've been a great team. He's not afraid to say something to me and I'm not afraid to tell him to, you know, whatever. We got along great and we have good chemistry.

Q. That's why you like Hawai'i, you're chill.

CHRIS GOTTERUP: I'm sure that's part of it.

Q. Downtown Honolulu, can you be more specific?

CHRIS GOTTERUP: I just literally just walked around all week. There was not -- I'm not going to be able to tell you anything. I know the Westin is the big one. I'm not staying there. There is a coffee shop there I went to every day. I like just -- when we are playing tournaments, and this is the first one of the year, but on your 20th tournament it's nice to get out and have an escape from golf.

It's easy to do that here and walk around and enjoy the town and enjoy everything that comes with being in Hawai'i.

Q. How long was your ride here, to here today?

CHRIS GOTTERUP: 15 minutes. Yeah, give or take.

Q. That helps.

CHRIS GOTTERUP: Yeah.

Q. Was your dad able to be there at Myrtle?

CHRIS GOTTERUP: Yeah, he was there. My brother, my mom, and dad were there for Myrtle Beach, which was cool because that was Mother's Day. She got to come down.

I was playing well obviously and they came down for Sunday and I'm like, everything is going good. Stay at home, watch. But I'm happy that they were there to experience that.

Scottish, no one was there. They came the next week for the British, which was awesome.

Then here, he had a work trip in Kona for a couple days and he was planning on coming Thursday, Friday and then changed his plans. So, yeah, that was great that he was here.

Q. Playing next week?

CHRIS GOTTERUP: I'm not playing next week, no.

Q. (No microphone.)

CHRIS GOTTERUP: No. Well, I don't think I played -- I only played Maui, yeah. I played Memorial and Hartford when I won Myrtle Beach, that's it. Yeah, yeah. Last year I think I only played Memorial.

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations Chris, appreciate your time. Good luck the rest of the season.

CHRIS GOTTERUP: Thank you.