JOHN DEERE CLASSIC

July 3, 2022

Christopher Gotterup

TPC Deere Run

Quick Quotes

CHRISTOPHER GOTTERUP:

Q. Can you talk about making the most of your sponsor's exemption this week?

CHRISTOPHER GOTTERUP: Yeah, kind of I've been prepping all year kind of for this. I knew it was going to happen. Not that I played really well, but I knew I had the opportunity, and to take advantage of it is amazing.

Q. What does it mean to have played so well against a really strong field?

CHRISTOPHER GOTTERUP: Yeah, just more validation that I do belong out here. And honestly, I didn't have my greatest stuff this week. Hit it amazing, but just putted pretty poorly until coming down the stretch.

So, yeah, you pick up things along the way. Yeah, I draw on my experiences like Puerto Rico, and the last couple weeks have been really helpful to get to where I am.

Q. You putted around through 8. Were you starting to get frustrated? Were you staying patient?

CHRISTOPHER GOTTERUP: Oh, yeah, I was getting frustrated. Hard not when you see everyone flying up the leaderboard and your name is sitting there and slowly drifting back.

Yeah, and then honestly if I don't chip in on 9 I don't think it turns out the way this round turns out, just because I go from a par to kind of not-so-great momentum, and then chip in and get the ball rolling.

So that was the shot of the tournament and probably my life right now.

Q. How is your schedule set up now? Obviously the British Open is in the equation now.

CHRISTOPHER GOTTERUP: I have no idea. Hopefully a lot of good things come from it, but, yeah, we'll see how this unfolds.

Q. What would it mean to get to go to the British?

CHRISTOPHER GOTTERUP: It would be pretty sweet. Get two majors in a month, I don't think I would have believed you if you told me to do that.

Q. Are you going home now or Barbasol?

CHRISTOPHER GOTTERUP: Yeah, going home. I need a day or two to just get my feet under me and see my family, dogs, and just get back to normal life a little bit.

Q. I know you have the Rocket Mortgage. I heard you mention the 3M.

CHRISTOPHER GOTTERUP: Yeah, none of that is like totally official, but hopefully it is at some point down the road. I'm trying to I play my way in, so hopefully I can do that.

Q. This will look pretty good on the resume.

CHRISTOPHER GOTTERUP: This will look nice.

Q. Talk about the feel of this day overall. Was it just a normal round of golf?

CHRISTOPHER GOTTERUP: No.

Q. Did it feel like Sunday on the PGA Tour?

CHRISTOPHER GOTTERUP: At the start, you know, I knew going into today that this was going to be an important day. I definitely left a lot of shots out there yesterday, and just I knew that today could go one or two ways. I could play okay and have a nice finish, but if you turn it on and finish really high, could be a special day.

So, yeah, just super thankful to be in this position, and it's been an awesome day.

Q. What's it like for you, if you can take a step back and think about what this tournament has just done for your career?

CHRISTOPHER GOTTERUP: I don't know. Yeah, there is just so many people that have been a part of my journey, back from high school to Rutgers to Oklahoma. You know, this is all a culmination of my hard work and everyone else's time and effort that's been put into me.

So I'm just super thankful to be in this position, and, yeah, it's just been awesome.

Obviously have to thank Clair for giving me a spot. Without that, this doesn't happen. Just so many people that I have to thank. I probably won't even have the time to do it, but, yeah, just super cool.

Q. Did you look at the leaderboards today and see your name up there?

CHRISTOPHER GOTTERUP: Yeah, I looked on the front nine and watched my name just slide down. Yeah, other than that, I just knew I needed to make up some ground, and it had to happen quick, because through eight holes, you start T10, you're at T20, shooting even par just doesn't work.

Yeah, definitely got into a little bit of a groove. That chip-in will be a shot I'll remember for a while.

Q. Have you seen the T2 next to your name yet?

CHRISTOPHER GOTTERUP: Yeah, I saw it with Amanda over there. Hopefully -- I wouldn't mind seeing that climb, too. We'll see. It's just crazy.

Q. I just want to clarify your schedule. You will take this week off?

CHRISTOPHER GOTTERUP: I don't know. I don't know. I'm going to be in Barbasol, but we'll see. I got to talk to some people. I'm going home for sure. Whether I'm playing next week or not, we'll see.

But, yeah, just I got to have some time to sit in a car and just ponder everything that just kind of happened.

Q. Obviously the chance to play St. Andrews would change things.

CHRISTOPHER GOTTERUP: Yeah, that would be insane. I don't know, I honestly didn't even think about that going into today. For that to be a possibility would be insane.

Q. You really did not think about the ramifications, what you could gain?

CHRISTOPHER GOTTERUP: I did at the start of the week. Obviously you always know about it, but as I slowly slid back a little bit, I didn't really worry about it. I was just trying to gain some ground.

Yeah, I honestly hadn't thought about it until I walked up the hill and saw the British Open hat on the guy down here. So other than that, I didn't think about it.

Q. If that Taco Bell quote of your dad's keeps getting traction, probably going to end up with an endorsement there, right?

CHRISTOPHER GOTTERUP: That would be a good and bad thing. (Laughter.)