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The PGA Tour rookie's family made it to The
Dunes Golf and Beach Club on Mother's Day in time to see him win
his first PGA Tour title. Gotterup, 24, said the flowers he had
ordered for his mother were delayed until Monday.
"So I gave her at least something today," Gotterup said. "But
it's awesome. They came down this morning, and after the first
two holes they were probably a little iffy, but yeah, just a
great day."
Gotterup held the 36-hole lead and never let up. He went
66-64-65-67 for the week to post a 22-under 262, beating
Alistair Docherty and Davis Thompson by a full six strokes.
Docherty shot a 64 on Sunday and Thompson had a 68.
The former Jack Nicklaus Award winner for the best player in
college golf, Gotterup opened his day bogey-bogey but got those
strokes back and then some. He made a 7-foot birdie at No. 3, an
11-foot eagle putt at No. 4 and a 23-footer for birdie at the
par-3 No. 5.
No one would threaten to catch him from there. He recorded four
birdies and two bogeys on the back nine, his final putt dropping
in the side door for birdie at No. 18.
"This week it just happened to be the driver wasn't working
great, but my short game really saved me, getting up-and-down
from some spots that you probably shouldn't get up-and-down
from," Gotterup said. "But I felt like I had a really good game
plan all week, and yeah, I just played my game."
As the winner of this new tournament opposite the Wells Fargo
Championship, Gotterup received one of the final spots in the
PGA Championship, the second major of the season, which will be
played next week at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky.
Blades Brown, a 16-year-old amateur, posted a final-round 69 to
tie for 26th at 10 under. It was the second straight week a
16-year-old amateur made the cut on the PGA Tour, as England's
Kris Kim did so last week at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson.
--Field Level Media [© 2024 Thomson Reuters. All rights
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