Chris Gotterup secured his third win of the 2026 PGA Tour season on Sunday at the John Deere Classic.
The win at TPC Deere Run was the fifth of his career and at the age of 26, Gotterup has proven that he is already more than capable of competing with the best players in the world, Scottie Scheffler included.
The 30-year-old from Dallas, Texas, has been the best and most consistent golfer on the planet over the past four years.
However, Scottie Scheffler has found it increasingly more difficult to win on the PGA Tour in 2026.
The world number one has still enjoyed a fabulous season, with one victory and nine top-5 finishes in 14 starts to his name, and he is currently sitting at the top of the FedEx Cup standings.
However, Scheffler will be burning with anger inside over his failure to win more tournaments this year.
Meanwhile, Chris Gotterup has made it look easy, with three wins to his name in 17 starts so far in 2026.
Scheffler is a huge admirer of Gotterup, both as a golfer and a person, and it goes without saying that the feeling is very much mutual.
Gotterup is currently two weeks away from his 27th birthday. So, let’s cast our minds back to when Scheffler was the same age to see what his record looked like then.
Scottie Scheffler’s PGA Tour record compared with Chris Gotterup’s at the same age
Scheffler was two weeks away from his 27th birthday on the 7th June 2023.
He had already made a name for himself then, just like Gotterup has now.
Scheffler’s first PGA Tour win came at the WM Phoenix Open in February 2022. He won three more times in 2022 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play and The Masters.
The world number one then won twice more just before he turned 27 – a second victory at the WM Phoenix Open and a win at The Players Championship.
So, when Scheffler was two weeks away from his 27th birthday, he had six PGA Tour wins to his name, including one major championship.
His next win didn’t come until March 2024 when he reigned supreme at the Arnold Palmer Invitational for the second time in his career, and we all know what followed.
The 30-year-old has gone on to record 13 victories since that triumph at Bay Hill, pushing his win tally to 20, including four majors in total.
Can Chris Gotterup really be the new Scottie Scheffler?
Gotterup has a long way to go before he can be put in the same conversation as Scheffler.
However, his record right now is very similar to what Scheffler had achieved at the same age.
That said, the 26-year-old would have to win 15 times in the next three years including four majors, if he is to match what the world number one has achieved by the age of 30.
The five-time PGA Tour winner is genuinely capable of heating up and going on a run like that.
Word of warning, though – winning on the PGA Tour is incredibly difficult.
Scheffler winning 20 times, including four majors, since February 2022 cannot be underestimated.
The man from Dallas has already achieved legendary status in the game, whatever happens from here on out.
Chris Gotterup should be setting his sights high by aiming to match Scottie Scheffler’s achievements, or even surpass them.
He is an incredible talent, and there is no reason why he can’t become the best player in the world within the next five years or so.
