Chris Gotterup makes his Masters debut with four recent wins. Here’s what to know

Chris Gotterup enters his first Masters this week as one of the most accomplished rookies in the tournament’s history, riding a surge of four PGA Tour victories in just 23 months. The 90th edition of the Masters began Thursday at Augusta National, with Gotterup carding an even-par first round.

FULL STORY: Why Chris Gotterup is not your usual Masters rookie

Here are key takeaways:

• Gotterup has four PGA Tour wins, including the 2024 Myrtle Beach Classic, the 2025 Genesis Scottish Open and the 2026 Sony and WM Phoenix Open. He out-dueled Rory McIlroy in the Scottish Open and beat Hideki Matsuyama in a playoff in Phoenix.

• He rose from No. 158 in the world rankings before his Scottish Open win last summer to 11th in the latest standings.

• His path wasn’t smooth. After his Myrtle Beach win, he went without another top-20 finish the rest of the year, nursed a hand injury for three months and missed eight cuts in his first 11 starts of 2025.

• Gotterup could become only the fourth player — and first since 1979 — to win the Masters in his first start.

• He played a Monday practice round with Justin Rose and said hearing from experienced players helped him prepare for course conditions and wind. “As a first-timer, it’s hard to really take it all in,” he said.

• Gotterup said his recent success under pressure gives him confidence. “After winning a couple big events, I feel like I’m comfortable being there,” he said.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by journalists.