It’s not just one or two wins, it’s Chris Gottterp’s third in 2026, as the 26-year-old chased down the leaders Sunday at the John Deere Classic to win his third title of the season, tying him with Matt Fitzpatrick for the most on the PGA Tour during that span. Not only did Gotterup come up clutch, he finished 20 under with a 9-under 62, his lowest round of the tournament, good enough for a one-stroke victory over Max Homa.
Ben Coles arrived at the 72nd hole tied with Gottharp at 20 under, but disaster struck on his approach shot. Coles found water on his second shot, but was unable to save par and ultimately dropped a pair on the 72nd hole, falling back to a tie for third place.
“I was kind of in between,” Corless said. “I hit an 8-iron, but I thought the 9 was too short and thought, ‘If I hit the 8 full, I might go over.'” So I was trying to hit a three-quarter punch shot. Oh, I just gave it a little tug and it obviously fell into the water. ”
For Gotterup, winning the John Deere Classic is especially sweet. With his regular caddy out due to the birth of his child, the Oklahoma product asked his younger brother to pull the sticks at TPC Dear Run. Gottap also won the same tournament that grants him a sponsor exemption in 2022, leading to Gottap’s first top-five finish on the PGA Tour.
Gotterup now has five wins on the PGA Tour, including four last year, tying him with world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. Gotterup, sixth in the FedEx Cup standings, will defend his title at the Scottish Open, which begins Thursday.
Gottapp got off to a strong start, starting the day five strokes off the 54-hole pace set by Lucas Glover and Lee Hodges. Although he was unable to take full advantage of the par-5 second hole, he made his intentions clear by playing a 5-under front nine. By the time he reached the 15th hole, three more birdies were on his scorecard, but par may have been the impetus to finally get through the remaining holes.
Gotterup was able to avoid a square on the scorecard and kept going, making the final birdie from 15 feet on the 17th to reach a final winning score of 20 under.
From there, he and his brother waited at the driving range to warm up for a possible playoff with his pursuers on the golf course. Homa missed their last chance to equalize just before Coles sent his second goal to Waterfall. Gotterup’s name was left alone at the top of the leaderboard, hugging his brother and his fifth PGA Tour title. Grade: A+
Here are the remaining notable names on the 2026 John Deere Classic leaderboard:
2. Max Homa (-19): He started the back nine six strokes (!) behind the leader, and thanks to four consecutive birdies from No. 12 to No. 15, he gradually closed to a one-point lead. Homa kept pace with the others on the par-5 17th hole, proving he needed at least one more shot to make the playoff. He looked a lot like the guy who won six PGA Tour titles during his career. My swing was in a better position and my mentality looked the same. He’s always dangerous when he’s comfortable between the ears, and if that continues, he should get quality results like this too.
“I pride myself on not forcing myself and being patient,” Homa said. “Yesterday, my caddy, John, said he forced a few putts in. Today, my speed wasn’t very good, so I just let it go. Yeah, it was fun. But the game just felt good, so that’s a good thing because you feel like you’re one more swing away from getting a birdie on every hole.” Grade: A
T3. Ben Coles (-18): An eagle announced his arrival on the par-5 second as Coles turned in with a two-shot lead at 5 under. Already a winner on this season’s Korn Ferry Tour, he had plenty of confidence in himself until he couldn’t win anymore. My swing was a little faster and my pace on the green was a little off, so I was caught up from behind. Coles, a five-time winner on the Korn Ferry Tour and scheduled to earn his PGA Tour card at the circuit later this season, saw another victory slip from his grasp. He is also up to 100th in the FedEx Cup standings. Grade: A-
T15. Preston Stout (a) (-14): Stout will become the top-ranked amateur when the standings are updated this week, but first he needed to secure a tee time for his first weekend on the PGA Tour. Stout, making his fourth career tour start, looked, well, tough. The NCAA individual champion changed his mindset, and his results followed suit. He looked far beyond his years from tee to green all week, but ultimately couldn’t hole enough putts to keep pace with the pack. Grade: A-
T58. Jordan Spieth (-7): If ever there was a week that summed up Spieth’s season, it was this one. The three-time major champion had at least one six on his scorecard in the first two rounds and a pair of sevens on his scorecard in the third and fourth rounds. The big numbers added up quickly, adding to the inconsistency that has handcuffed his ability to find a top 10 since last summer’s Memorial. If there’s one positive to take away from a week where the lowest round was just 2 under, Spieth rolled the rock much more effectively than he did at the Travelers Championship. Grade: D
M.C. Jackson Koivu: Koibun’s first week as a professional was cut short due to a missed cut, and his first start as a professional did not go as many expected. Still, the former Auburn phenom gained valuable experience in the tournament, where he was paired with Spieth and Ben Griffin. Koibun’s streak of five consecutive top-25 finishes on the PGA Tour came to an end thanks to eight bogeys in 36 holes, with three shots flowing into the field on the green alone. He will take the field at next week’s ISCO Championships, where he can put his short memory to the test.
“Today was my day off,” Koibun said Thursday. “At the end of the day, not every round you play is perfect. Like I said, it’s a little disappointing to have today off, but there’s no reason why I can’t play well tomorrow.” Grade: F
