Chris Gotterup displayed icy-cool nerves on Saturday at the Scottish Open as he pushed a stellar ball-striking round to the brink of the title. Even more remarkable, the American golfer had an incredible run, recording 34 holes in a row without a bogey. His chances took a hit on the second hole when he found a fairway bunker and lost a stroke. Despite an early test, Gotterup came up big in the moment. He remained well in striking distance and briefly tied the lead with Rory McIlroy at 11-under 199 after McIlroy’s steady round of 4-under 66.
It was a mixed round for Gotterup, to say the least, as he lamented opportunities left on the back nine. He missed a big opportunity of not taking advantage of two easy par 5s to help pump up his score. Shot in March, he’s had an out of this world recovery 👏👏👏👏 Once his approach shot from a greenside pot bunker hit the flagstick, he made a nifty tap-in par. His performance was highlighted by a near hole-in-one on the par-3 sixth, where his ball lipped out of the cup.
As the day progressed though, Gotterup found himself in an intense fight for the lead. He started out in first place. It was Jake Knapp’s dramatic finish with back-to-back birdies on the closing par 3s that pushed him to the top, finishing with a round of 68. Following a three-putt from 60 feet for bogey on the 14th, Gotterup’s position became precarious, yet he managed to finish strong. He ended the round tied at 201 with fellow competitors Matt Fitzpatrick and Marco Penge, who both posted scores of 69.
Gotterup was still pleased with his overall play.
“I’m pleased, but definitely feel like I left one or two out there that would have been important,” – Chris Gotterup
The competition really heated up as McIlroy battled back to prove how tough he is on the course. He was happy to look back on his first round 65 this week. Saturday seemed to be his sharpest day of the week.
“Even though I scored better yesterday (a 65), I feel like I played my best golf of the week today,” – Rory McIlroy
McIlroy’s deep tournament run is a good sign that he’s starting to feel like his old self again. He believes he’s close to returning to the form he had before this year’s Masters tournament. He’s looking forward to getting back to that high water mark.
“I think I’m pretty close to being back to the level I was at going into the Masters,” – Rory McIlroy
Looking ahead
With one round to play, both Gotterup and McIlroy are set to make a run. On experience’s side Gotterup, who won last year’s coronavirus-altered Myrtle Beach Classic, is one on the run. As he wraps up his relaunch tour, he’s still unapologetic and hopeful to go another round.
“I know what I’m capable of. I’ve won before – obviously different tournament. So I know what it takes,” – Chris Gotterup
With only one day left in the tournament, both golfers aim to solidify their positions at the top of the leaderboard. The stakes are high as they enter the final round, each vying for a title that could significantly impact their careers.
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