New Jersey golfer Chris Gotterup qualifies for U.S. Open; Little Silver native co-medalist
Chris Gotterup’s historic stretch of golf continued Monday, when the Little Silver native secured a chance to take on the best players on the planet.
Fresh off an All-American campaign at Oklahoma, which culminated with him being named college golf’s top player, Gotterup punched his ticket to the U.S. Open at sectional qualifying in Purchase, New York.
After opening with a 3-under-par 67 in his morning round at Century Country Club, Gotterup posted an even-par 70 in the afternoon at Old Oaks Country Club. His 36-hole total of 3-under-par 137 was good enough to secure one of five spots up for grabs at next week's U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts.
Gotterup, 2019 Big Ten Player of the Year, the highlight of a stellar four-year career at Rutgers, finished as the co-medalist along with Caleb Manuel, who plays for UConn and is the reigning Big East champ.
There will be an eight-man playoff at 2-under-par for the final three spots.
After turning pro this week, Gotterup with compete on a sponsor’s exemption at the PGA Tour’s RBC Canadian Open beginning Thursday. He’ll also be playing a pair of PGA Tour events in the two weeks after the U.S. Open, with sponsor’s exemptions into the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Connecticut, and the John Deere Classic in Silvis, Illinois.
Related: Chris Gotterup named top college golfer; Little Silver native to turn pro
Gotterup finished tied for seventh at the PGA Tour’s Puerto Rico Classic in March, earning his spot in the field by winning a collegiate event on the same course in February.
It marks the first appearance at the U.S. Open by a player with ties to the Jersey Shore since 2012, when Middletown resident Mark McCormick, the head pro at Suburban Golf Club in Union, and Brian Gaffney, then the head pro at Rumson Country Club, both qualified for the U.S. Open at The Olympic Club in San Francisco.
McCormick's son, Ryan, a 30-year-old Middletown native who plays on the Korn Ferry Tour, the PGA Tour's top developmental circuit, finished at 2-over-par 142. Spring Lake's Brendan Hansen, who plays at Rutgers, finished at 1-over-par.
Beginning his day on the 10th hole at Century, Gotterup, who had 10 top-10 finishes during his one season with the Sooners, made the turn at 2-under-par, carding back-to-back bogeys beginning on No. 15. He finished the opening round at 3-under-par 67, part of a four-way tie for second at that point, one shot behind the leader.
He was cruising along at 3-under through 15 holes in the afternoon round at Old Oaks, sitting atop the leaderboard at 6-under-par. But a double-bogey at the par-3, 16th hole and a bogey at No. 17 pushed him back into a tie for second at the time.
Gotterup, the former Christian Brothers Academy standout who helped the Colts win the 2017 NJSIAA Tournament of Champions title, was the 2019 Player of the Year for both the New Jersey State Golf Association and Metropolitan Golf Association. He won the New Jersey Open and MGA Amateur that summer.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: New Jersey golfer Chris Gotterup qualifies for U.S. Open
