WM PHOENIX OPEN

February 5, 2026

Chris Gotterup

TPC Scottsdale

Quick Quotes

Q. Chris, I think the two previous times you played here you missed the cut, right?

CHRIS GOTTERUP: Yeah.

Q. What felt different about the course today?

CHRIS GOTTERUP: I don't know if the course has changed at all. I just feel like I've been playing better and managing my game better.

Yeah, we were flying back from TGL and I was like, I need to see Saturday here this week. Yeah, off to a good start.

Q. When you roll one in from off the green to get the day going, does that jump start things?

CHRIS GOTTERUP: Yeah. I mean, any time you make an eagle or a nice putt it definitely helps. I just felt like even if I didn't make that I felt like I was just trying to do the right stuff.

Like I said in the last couple interviews, I feel like I just really managed where I needed to be on the golf course well today.

Q. 16, to birdie that and then throw the ball into the crowd, how would you say you kind of embraced the theatre there?

CHRIS GOTTERUP: Yeah, it's impossible to not. Even if you hate it you have to embrace it. They're on top of you. There is no way to escape it, so there is only, you know, you have to embrace it.

It's a cool atmosphere. It's something we get once a year. To make a birdie on that hole to get the crowd going, we had a couple in our group, so it was a lot of fun.

Q. Started off Sony Open with a 63 in round one; started off today with a 63 as well. What has the start of the season been like for you so far, and how has TGL helped you fine tune things to start the year?

CHRIS GOTTERUP: Yeah, I think to start the year I really felt like I worked hard in the offseason to get ready for the season. TGL in the offseason also, just getting used to adrenaline rush you get inside there and being able to hit shots under pressure has helped me and my game.

It's nice to start the year off on a good note.

Q. A win and a top 10 already this year. You mentioned you worked hard in the offseason. What were you working on as you prepped for this season?

CHRIS GOTTERUP: We went through some stats from last year and obviously I had a great year last year. There were like two or three things that were kind of glaring in terms of losing shots in spots where if I didn't look at stats I probably would've said I did decent at.

We worked on that, and that was really 6the only things that we -- other than just normal practice. Those were things that I worked on to get ready for this year.

Q. And how would you describe or explain how you're playing and striking the ball right now?

CHRIS GOTTERUP: Yeah, I feel like I'm doing things well and thinking through things well, and I think that's the most important thing. I wouldn't say today I drove it my best or did anything -- I putted great today, but I just was in the right spot when I needed to be.

Yeah, Sony I drove it unbelievable and did good stuff there. It's nice to play well and also have other parts complement that. So, yeah, it's been nice to manage my game properly.

Q. And being in a couple feature groups today and throughout the beginning of the season, maybe becoming more of staple to regular fans, how would you describe kind of where you are now as to when you came on TOUR in terms of like the comfort level?

CHRIS GOTTERUP: Yeah, it's totally different. When you're coming off the Korn Ferry Tour you're in the back of the bus and finishing oftentimes on Saturday mornings.

It's hard to get adjusted, but I feel like I played well and kind of worked my way up the ladder a little bit. I think the thing about the TOUR is it never stops. Someone is going to be coming. You always got to keep your foot on the pedal.

Yeah, it's been fun to kind of get to where we are now.

Q. You had a birdie or better on every par-5 today, including an eagle. What was the strategy on those holes like? Did anything change depending on that type of hole?

CHRIS GOTTERUP: I wouldn't say the strategy changes. On 3 I obviously got a little lucky getting it to where it ended up. The other holes, you have to hit good drives on these par-5s to have irons in. If not, you're probably laying up.

So I think I had 6-iron in on 15 and 5-iron in on 13, and that just makes the hole easier. I feel like in order to -- especially when it gets a little firm, you just got to be in the right spot on this course.