Chris Gotterup stays chill at a steamy John Deere Classic, posts second-round 68

SILVIS, Ill. — Chris Gotterup is as chill as ever and playing well at an extremely warm John Deere Classic.

The highest-ranked player in the field this week, Gotterup has played his way into contention for his third win this year and the fifth of his young career, backing up his 5-under opening-round 66 with a smooth 68 on Friday.

His position on the leaderboard at the midway point serves as a reminder of past success at a course where he earned the first big check of his career with a T4 finish as a sponsor exemption without PGA TOUR status in 2022. A year ago, a T21 finish at TPC Deere Run served as a strong warm-up for his second career victory at the following week’s Genesis Scottish Open.

Gotterup followed up that victory with a T3 at the 2025 Open Championship and said he’s had the John Deere on his schedule for much of the year that began with early wins at the Sony Open in Hawaii and the WM Phoenix Open.

Why mess with success?

“I wanted to play,” Gotterup said, who entered the week 14th in the Official World Golf Ranking and 10th in the FedExCup standings. “I felt like this stretch last year kind of kick-started my whole year. Obviously, I got off to a great start this year, but that doesn't mean that I don't need reps or just need to take time off.”

The fire and ice storyline contrasting the outwardly laconic New Jersey native with a heretofore steamy week in Silvis has legs. But, as with all things, this story has nuance.

An amusing anecdote from his 2022 TPC Deere Run debut involved his declared interest in a nap over a stop at the practice facility after playing his way into contention in the second round. That complemented a widely circulated comment from his father, Morton, who noted that while junior golf competitors often would work on their swings post-round, his son was more likely to be thinking about what he’d order at Taco Bell on the drive home.

“It’s not like he can’t sleep,” said Jason Birnbaum, Gotterup’s youth swing coach. “He’s unfazed by all this.”

Still, Birnbaum was quick to add that Gotterup’s early success also was owed to a serious work ethic. “The Taco Bell comment is funny and it’s not totally inaccurate,” Birnbaum said at the time. “But he’s practicing and he’s working hard as well.”

Gotterup’s success and steady improvement over four years on TOUR certainly are proof of that commitment.

Still, he won’t argue against his chill reputation, and that’s one reason he enjoys the vibe of the John Deere Classic.

“It's a chill week for everyone,” Gotterup said. “It's nice. They take great care of us here. Selfishly, I think the golf course fits my eye nicely. It requires some shot-shaping, which I like. Yeah, I just kind of enjoy playing here.”

The variety of shots one has to make at TPC Deere Run also stands at odds with Gotterup’s well-earned reputation as a bomber. He entered the week ranked fourth this year in driving distance, but, after throttling back off a fair number of tees, he now ranks in the middle of the field with an average of 313 yards through two rounds.

“This course does a good job of letting you push it if you want to, but you can dial it back, too,” he said.

Gotterup was briefly tied atop the leaderboard Friday morning after a stretch of three birdies over four holes on his second nine. That run pushed him to 9-under par for the tournament, but he gave one back with his lone bogey of the week thus far after driving it into the rough at the par-4 sixth and three-putting from 30 feet. He finished the round at 8 under with the leaders within sight.

He enters the weekend with the leaders within striking distance, cooler temperatures in the forecast and well aware that the typical winning score at TPC Deere Run is at least 20-under par.

His approach to that challenge is unsurprisingly chill.

“Whatever that number is, just go out there and try to play well,” Gotterup said.