Now that Chris Gotterup is the 2026 Sony Open in Hawaii champion the big question is if there will be a 2027 Sony Open in Hawaii so he can come back to defend his title.
“As a champion I hope it stays because I played well here and it’s a great place,” said Gotterup, after shooting 6-under 64 in Sunday’s final round at Waialae Country Club. “Hopefully I’m not the last champion.”
The PGA Tour is considering shortening its season and that might include deleting its two Hawaii tournaments, as soon as next year. Sony’s contract as title sponsor of this event ended with this year’s tournament, which was known as the Hawaiian Open when it became part of the PGA Tour in 1965.
The Sentry at Kapalua on Maui, normally played the week before the Sony Open in Hawaii, was canceled this year due to drought conditions and water rights issues.
“I wish I had the answer for you. I don’t. … There is a whole new regime and they’re going to do what they think is best for the Tour,” said Gotterup, who played The Sentry last year. “I really don’t know what’s going to happen.”
The third-year Tour pro from New Jersey had few problems solving Waialae, though.
Gotterup shot 16 under par for the event. He had seven birdies and one bogey Sunday to win by two shots over Ryan Gerard, who was second at 14 under after a final-round 65.
“I just felt like this week I was in a good frame of mind and happy to be here,” said Gotterup, who was in contention all four days, shooting 63-69-68-64. “Felt like I was driving it great and making putts.”
Davis Riley entered the final round atop the leaderboard, and built on that with birdies at the fourth and fifth holes to put him at 14 under. But then a bogey followed by a double bogey at No. 8 dropped him out of the lead, as Gotterup — who started the day tied for second, two shots behind Riley — birdied two of the last three holes on the front nine to get a share of the lead.
Gotterup separated with birdies on 12 and 13. He also picked up a key insurance stroke with a birdie putt on No. 17.
Gotterup’s driver and hot putter were big weapons for him, especially on Sunday. But with a three-shot lead he played it safe with an iron straight down the fairway off the tee on the par-5 18th hole.
“I felt like I had a better chance of playing well on that hole having 250 (yards left to the hole) than trying to needle something up the left and have 180 in. … I would’ve gone for it if I needed to make a birdie,” he said. “I just laid up because you can get a nasty lie in the rough, and I’m going to try to minimize any mistake I can make coming up the stretch.”
Gotterup said he learned a lot about the course, including No. 18, from missing the cut last year at his first Sony Open.
“The other day I hit 4-iron too and hit 4-iron into the green and got up and down for birdie, so it was a lot more strategy this year,” he said. “I feel like I got better at the courses (by) learning from my mistakes in the past and trying to mesh playing aggressive and conservative.”
Gotterup won the Myrtle Beach Classic as a rookie in 2024 and the Genesis Scottish Open last year.
“Having a win or two under your belt always helps, coming down the stretch knowing that you’ve done it and that you’re able to execute under pressure. I felt like I did a great job of that today,” he said. “A lot of these tournaments you just kind of got to hang around as long as you can and hang in the fight. I felt like I did a great job of that this week. Then when I got momentum I kept it and I didn’t squander it at any point today.”
Gerard started the day at 9 under and was at 13 under heading to the 18th, which he birdied.
“It was easier in the fact that there was less wind (than in earlier rounds), but it was tougher in the fact that hole locations were in kind of tucked spots in the greens and the fairways were getting firmer, so you had to be really precise with what clubs you were hitting off the tee,” Gerard said.
Patrick Rodgers also shot 65 and finished the tournament third at 13 under.
“I controlled the ball really well tee-to-green,” Rodgers said. “Obviously the conditions were more benign for probably the first 10, 11 holes, but it was kind of back to the normal breeze there at the end. I controlled my ball great and gave myself tons of chances. Unfortunately didn’t have a hot putter today.”
Kevin Roy — who held a share of the lead after the first and second rounds — started Sunday tied for second with Gotterup. He birdied No. 4 to improve to 11 under, but then two bogeys in a row, at the sixth and seventh holes, knocked him back. Roy finished with a 71 and tied for 13th.
Jacob Bridgeman was at 11 under after birdie at 15. He started the day at 6 under and shot 64 to end the day at 12 under, and tied with Robert McIntyre for a temporary clubhouse lead. They ended up tied for fourth.
Riley finished with a 71, tied for sixth at 11 under.
Defending champion Nick Taylor finished tied for 13th after shooting a final-round 70.
During a pre-tournament news conference Wednesday, Taylor said he plans to continue to visit Hawaii in the future even if there are no tournaments here.
Gotterup expressed similar sentiments after his victory Sunday.
“I love the beach and I love the ocean. Growing up near the ocean and the beach it just makes you feel good and makes me feel good,” he said, adding that Waialae reminds him of the course he grew up playing at in New Jersey. “That is a comforting feeling. I know the kind of golf that’s required … it’s a fine line of bomb-and-gouge and also needing to be in the fairway.”