JOHN DEERE CLASSIC

July 1, 2022

Christopher Gotterup

TPC Deere Run

Quick Quotes

Q. Had to feel pretty good to get to 10, and then you had to fight it in a little bit.

CHRISTOPHER GOTTERUP: What's that?

Q. You had opportunities coming in, but how do you feel about the day overall?

CHRISTOPHER GOTTERUP: Yeah, it was an interesting day. Definitely a bit of an up and down day compared to yesterday where I was kind of more on cruise control.

Yeah, happy to get to 10. Obviously 17 and 18, I had good look at 17. Well, not a great look with the bad chip, but a good chance for birdie. And then 18 I actually did everything perfectly and just misread the putt.

So it is what it is. You pick up some where you don't expect to and lose some where you don't except to also.

So, yeah, I'm pleased to be where I am at.

Q. Talk about the putt on 14.

CHRISTOPHER GOTTERUP: Yeah, it was just a good putt. You know, honestly, if you just get it up over that slope it's going to track down somewhere in that direction, and I just got a good guess on it and it went in.

That was fun.

Definitely got a little bit of the juice going there.

Q. I talked to Jason Birnbaum. He said that you've been mostly focused a lot on your putting in the last couple weeks. Are you seeing some results here?

CHRISTOPHER GOTTERUP: Yeah, I definitely -- even if I'm missing putts I feel like I'm hitting really good putts. Most of it is just misreads.

These greens you get some weirdly flat spots and hard to pick a side where you want to put it. Yeah, any time I'm making putts outside 15, 20 feet, obviously something is going right.

You're going to make some, going to miss some, and I'm happy that they're starting online and trying to do what I'm trying to do.

Q. Expectations for where you are going into the weekend?

CHRISTOPHER GOTTERUP: You know, hopefully I'm here every day in front of you guys. But, yeah, just keep going, put in good rounds out there, and slowly try to eliminate some of the dumb bogeys I'm making here and there.

Other than that, I like what I'm doing right now, so hopefully just keep doing it.

Q. How does it feel to be in this position?

CHRISTOPHER GOTTERUP: It's good. Yeah, I was in this position in Puerto Rico, so I am definitely going to draw off that.

Yeah, it's nice. Like yesterday I said I definitely was fighting to make the cut more the last two, three weeks rather than playing to win, which I was not really happy about.

So to be in this spot now is pretty fulfilling. Obviously there is a lot of golf left.

Q. How do you change the mindset from battling to make cuts to I'm battling to win?

CHRISTOPHER GOTTERUP: You know, just a little bit more aggressive. Like I said yesterday, almost caring a little less about the result. You're not going to make a lot of when you're playing safe, hitting it to 20 feet. Just not going to make a lot of 20-footers.

So definitely just shrinking some lines in a little bit and trying to take on a little bit more pins than you probably would. Obviously still within reason, but just trying to keep the foot on the pedal a little bit more.

Q. Been playing all other place the last few weeks. How have you stayed mentally strong to the point where you are playing this well here?

CHRISTOPHER GOTTERUP: Yeah, that's a good question, because it has been pretty tough honestly. Last week was a big -- I got a lot of juice from last week. Had a bunch of family and friends out there. I probably had 30 people with me just hanging out. We would go out to dinner and stuff. It was nice to see everyone.

Really I've played four weeks out here, but I also played Grayhawk, Big12, so I'm working on about seven weeks in a row.

Obviously I'm in great spot and there is a lot of people that would kill to be where I am, so just taking that mindset into things. I got two more days and then I can go to my couch and hang out.

Yeah, it's tough but it's hard to not -- hard to even think about it when you're playing in front of all these people and playing for something so big.

Q. You might not get that much rest. If you're top 10 you can go down to Kentucky, and obviously the British Open exemption you could be playing for.

CHRISTOPHER GOTTERUP: Yeah.

Q. Do you think about things like that in front of you?

CHRISTOPHER GOTTERUP: No. I'm not too worried about what is going to happen in the future, to be honest. I just am worried about getting some rest this afternoon. I don't think too far ahead. I try not to.

Usually when you think too far ahead bad things happen in the present. I just don't really like worrying about all that stuff. I'm just going to focus on this week, and whatever comes from it, comes from it. Just deal it as it goes.

Q. I'm sure this kind of success is what you were hoping for. Is it what you anticipated?

CHRISTOPHER GOTTERUP: Yeah. I don't want to like -- I mean, obviously we still got a long ways to go here, but I do think that like coming out of college I did think my game would translate really well to pro golf.

You look at guys that hit it pretty far, and I really improved my wedge game over the last couple years, so if I'm hitting the fairway I got a lot of wedges coming into the greens.

So I'm comfortable, and if I'm hitting it good I don't see why I shouldn't play well. Yeah, when I'm hitting it good feels pretty easy, so hopefully just keep hitting it good.

Q. Did the rain delay bother you at all?

CHRISTOPHER GOTTERUP: No. It was actually perfect timing because my brother pulled up right when the alarm went off. Hang out with him for half hour and then we went out and hit some balls, so it just felt like a mini break.

Q. Anything about this place fit your eye particularly well?

CHRISTOPHER GOTTERUP: Yeah. We were The Big Dig on Wednesday night. I was talking to Clair, the host of this, and he was just like, I really love this course. There is something about it. I don't know why there are certain holes that I really like, certain tee shots I like.

Yeah, I just felt really good when I stepped out here on Tuesday, so I'm happy it's kind of meshing a little bit together.

But yeah, it's just a really fun course. There is plenty of excitement, but you got to hit some good shots coming down the stretch here, like 18, that tee shot.

Yeah, it's a fun course.

Q. Talk about the shot you hit into 18.

CHRISTOPHER GOTTERUP: Yeah, it's a little bit of a guessing game coming out of the thick rough. Yeah, we had like 118 to the pin and I knew if I hit it good, if it lands short I can two-putt from there.

Came out perfect, landed just short and rolled up, and, yeah, wish I would've made the birdie, but it is what it is.

Q. Didn't birdie either of the par fives on the backside. Obviously bad break on 17 because the drive was in the fairway.

CHRISTOPHER GOTTERUP: Yeah, you know, like I said, I make eagle on 14, I don't expect to make eagle on 14. So you pick up some, you lose some somewhere else. It all evens out in the end. Probably should have shot 67 today at the end of the day. That's how I look at it.

Q. Do you start leaderboard watching now? Have you been leaderboard watching?

CHRISTOPHER GOTTERUP: I just kind of peek at it. I'm never really chasing a number in my head. Obviously if it's Sunday and you're down two you're chasing that number, but doesn't do you any good chasing a number.

Honestly, it's probably part of the reason I was so worried about the cut. I'm looking at the cut numbers the last couple weeks and, yeah, you're worried about a low number when guys are leading at 16-under through two rounds and you're just sitting there at 4. You're not doing any good.

Yeah, I don't try to worry about numbers but I just take looks at it here and there.