What does it take for a 13-year-old golfer to come to Pebble Beach? For Chris Gotterup, it took breaking par to win a bet with his father.
“My dad and I had a bet when I was growing up that once I broke par, he would take me out here,” Gotterup recalled Wednesday ahead of his pro debut at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. “It’s one of those things that it was my first time, like being a decent player and getting to, like, play a place like this and enjoying it rather than being a young kid and not really knowing what you’re doing,” Gotterup said.
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He broke par at Rumson Country Club in New Jersey when he carded a 2-under 69 at only 13 years old. The scorecard still sits framed in his parents’ basement, one of the only childhood mementos he kept. He came to Pebble Beach with his dad and brother. Gotterup remembers hitting the driver on 18, finding the fairway despite not playing particularly well that week. He remembers his brother lipping out a putt on the same hole and falling to his knees.
“I’m able to appreciate the history and greatness of this place,” Gotterup also mentioned.
Chris Gotterup’s father, Morten, is a multiple NJSGA champion. He brought that competitive approach to family matches at Rumson, the same course where Chris Gotterup broke par. The two played against each other in club championships, drawing attention from other members.
That competitive fire, first stoked in family matches, has now erupted on the PGA Tour. The promise he showed as a 13-year-old has fully materialized in 2026, with Gotterup putting together one of the most dominant starts to his season.
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Chris Gotterup’s 2026 Performance Positions Him as the PGA Tour’s Most Dangerous Player
Gotterup has won twice in three starts this year. He closed with a 64 at the Sony Open in Hawaii to beat Ryan Gerard by two. At the WM Phoenix Open, he birdied five of his final six holes in regulation, then buried Hideki Matsuyama on the first playoff hole with another birdie.
Gotterup’s dominance isn’t just about wins; the underlying numbers reveal a player with no weaknesses. He’s overpowering courses with a 314-yard average off the tee while ranking second on Tour in strokes gained total. This combination has vaulted him to the top of the FedExCup standings and No. 5 in the world. Among Americans, only Scottie Scheffler is higher, and he has noticed.
“Scottie was following me at lunch, and he’s like, ‘I’m just going to eat what you’re eating,’” Gotterup recounted with a grin.
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A year ago, Gotterup sat outside the top 200 after missing cuts early in his second season, ineligible for signature events. Now he tees off Thursday at 1:16 PM ET alongside Wyndham Clark. No player since Johnny Miller in 1975 has won three of the PGA Tour’s first five events.
The clip posted by Jamie Kennedy crossed 94,000 views because it showed the parental investment that defines youth sports. Gotterup broke par at 13, and his father kept the promise. Now, he returns to Pebble Beach with a chance to add to his story.
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