Chris Gotterup has always been able to hit the long ball. But shaping the exact shot he was hoping for? That presented a little more challenge.
So when Gotterup brought former pro Brady Stockton on as his caddie about this time last year, it was in an attempt to help talk through course strategy, rather than to strictly discuss clubs and yardages. Gotterup needed a sounding board.
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Making the change wasn’t easy, but Gotterup has made hard decisions that paid off before. In 2020, he was a Golfweek All-American honorable mention while at Rutgers, where he’s still one of the school’s most decorated golfers.
But he still made the decision to transfer to the University of Oklahoma, and that move produced impressive dividends: Gotterup was given the Haskins Award and Jack Nicklaus Award as the top player in all of college golf.
And the move to Stockton produced similar results: Gotterup captured the Genesis Scottish Open in July last year, holding off Rory McIlroy and Marco Penge for the title.
He’s done more of the same in 2026, winning the Sony Open in Hawaii and the always entertaining WM Phoenix Open in February.
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Gotterup and Stockton even showed off their chemistry in a video called “Chasing Sunday” that streamed on YouTube. PGA Tour Studios partnered with NFL Films to provide behind-the-scenes access and footage from the flagship Tour event, with the episode being released not even two full days after the tournament concluded.
“I think it’s good for everyone in terms of the fans and whatnot to hear,” Gotterup said. “I think the caddies came out really good in the show, how much work they do and how much therapy/talking through shots.
“It’s not like we’re just up there being like, all right, I’m hitting a 6-iron, pass me the 6-iron. It’s talking it through what they think, really leaning heavily on them. I think they came across great. Obviously just the inside talk.”
Feb 8, 2026; Scottsdale, Arizona, USA; Chris Gotterup of the United States smiles with his caddie Brady Stockton on hole 2 during the final round of the WM Phoenix Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Anna Carrington-Imagn Images Anna Carrington, Anna Carrington-Imagn Images
With Gotterup winning multiple events and Jocob Bridgeman not finishing outside the top 18 in eight events this year, it’s no wonder that the duo is effectively cleaning up in the 2026 Jani-King Spring Clean Challenge, an event in which combined FedEx Cup points earned in seven events will determine a winning team.
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What started in 2015 as a small pilot with just 12 caddies has grown into one of the most recognizable brand partnerships in golf. The relationship between Jani-King and the Association of Professional Tour Caddies (APTC) now includes dozens of caddies carrying the iconic Jani-King golf towel. It’s a familiar sight every weekend — often right alongside players in the hunt. From the first tee to the final green, the towel is constantly in use, cleaning clubs, wiping grips and subtly showcasing the Jani-King brand during every televised moment.
During the challenge, the caddies of the players involved will carry a green towel to signify the competition.
The team of Gotterup and Bridgeman, known as the Kings of Clean Contact, is well in front through the first two tournaments on the seven-event schedule. Here are the current standings:
Kings of Clean Contact (Jacob Bridgeman/ Chris Gotterup): 393.75Carolina Clean (Andrew Novak/J.T. Poston): 33.875Clean Strikes (Tom Hoge/ Michael Kim): 25.3
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To be fair, Poston and his wife welcomed their second daughter, Grace James Poston, between the first two Challenge events, so he was obviously distracted.
But there are still plenty of opportunities to make this interesting. Up next on the schedule: The Masters and the RBC Heritage, an event where Novak finished second a year ago.
And who knows? There might be more chances to see the caddies and players interact, which Gotterup thinks adds to the fans’ engagement.
“I think it’s just a good way to change up golf, kind of what we put out, because obviously the media is always relatively putting out everyone that’s playing well,” Gotterup said. “They don’t really give the day-to-day grind of it all, what we do from sunup to sundown. It’s Saturday, Sunday guys coming down the stretch. Obviously, there’s some not great moments where you can blow a lead or kind of struggle on the last day. I think the whole buildup of the whole week is kind of like how you put yourself into contention and how you grind it out to make a cut. Stuff like that I think is good content for fans and what people like to see.”
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Chris Gotterup leading team in Jani-King Spring Clean Challenge
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