Golf doesn’t hand out fairy tales often, but once in a while, someone steps into the spotlight with game-changing momentum and a story still being written. Right now, that someone is Chris Gotterup, the young American who is making the headlines. After a breakthrough win at the Scottish Open and a solo third-place finish at The Open Championship, Gotterup is back in the hunt, charging up the leaderboard at the 3M Open in Minnesota and eyeing his second PGA Tour title in just three weeks.
But while Gotterup’s overall game is surging, one hole continues to haunt him this week, and CBS broadcaster Amanda Balionis didn’t shy away from addressing it in a post-round interview on Saturday. Balionis began by acknowledging the transformation in Gotterup’s game and the momentum he’s built.
She highlighted how he’s become a household name, especially after his win at the Scottish Open, and asked him, “At this point, is it just going with the flow, or how do you analyze playing so well so often right now?” Gotterup responded with the laid-back confidence of someone enjoying the ride: “I don’t know… I feel like… I said I was just trying to ride out this week and see what comes with it. But I’m really just trying to focus on making sure my energy levels are up and get ready for tomorrow.”
Then came the reminder. A pointed question about the 18th hole at TPC Twin Cities, where Gotterup has failed to find his footing all week. Balionis asked, “So how do you plan on turning that around tomorrow?” Gotterup chuckled, acknowledging the problem — “Yeah, it was funny. We were just in scoring, and Ellis said I should get a pop on that hole, and I think I should. I’m playing it two-over for the week. But yeah, that’s going to be a big hole for me. I’m gonna go to the range after that, after that tee ball, and tryna sort that one out. But yeah, I mean it’s a tough hole, especially into the wind today, and you gotta hit three really good shots to get in a good spot for birdies or eagles. So, hopefully we’ll do it tomorrow.”
Gotterup has had stellar rounds this week, and he is currently tied 7th, at 16-under, two shots behind leader Thorbjørn Olesen. But the 18th hole has consistently cost him stronger finishes on the last two days. He made par on Thursday, but bogeys on Friday and Saturday have kept him from climbing even higher on the leaderboard. But it’s not just his errors, but also the fact that it is one of the toughest holes on the course.
The 18th at TPC Twin Cities, a 586-yard par-5 framed by water along the right side, is no ordinary finishing hole. Designed by Arnold Palmer, the 7431-yard course has kept players on their toes this week, but the closing hole in particular has consistently ranked among the most difficult par-5s on the PGA Tour since 2019. At just two shots back, every stroke counts for Gotterup. If he hopes to claim his second PGA TOUR win in three weeks, he knows the 18th may be the make-or-break moment once again.
While Gotterup’s battle with the 18th hole has been a focal point this week, his rise to fame off the course has been just as remarkable, something Amanda Balionis made sure to also spotlight in their conversation.
Balionis highlights Gotterup’s rise in fame
Chris Gotterup’s rise through the ranks hasn’t just been impressive on the course— it’s fundamentally altered his life off it. Amanda Balionis highlighted that shift during the light-hearted exchange in their interview on Saturday at the 3M Open. “What are the differences of people in knowing who you are, the text messages… Like what’s the difference between your world now vs a few weeks ago?” she asked. Gotterup smiled, clearly still adjusting to his new spotlight. “Yeah, it’s fun. I mean, like I said, we got three featured groups this week, and it makes my family easier to watch me at home,” he said. “So, felt like that… and yeah it’s just, it’s been fun and everyone congratulates me and definitely a couple more people watching, on the course and hopefully off the course,” Gotterup revealed as he was all smiles.
Just three weeks ago, Gotterup surged in the OWGR, moving from 158th to 49th, and then to 27th after his solo third finish at Royal Portrush last week, passing major champions like Shane Lowry and Justin Rose. With this week’s performance at the 3M Open, he’s not just chasing a win—he’s pushing to lock in a potential Ryder Cup, especially with Captain Max Homa in attendance this week. He even banked $2.7 million during his two weeks across the continent. Balionis even joked about the flood of support Gotterup has received as she pointed out that he had 1900 unread text messages after the Scottish Open, and asked him, “Have you gotten through all of those yet?” Laughing, Gotterup admitted, “I finally got to all of them. It took me a couple of weeks but uh… most of those were my friends at home and uh, family members and stuff like that. But yeah, it was overwhelming.” It’s a fitting word for a player whose talent is now being matched by the scale of his stardom.
