Rutgers Alum Chris Gotterup to Make History as First Scarlet Knight at Masters

Chris Gotterup will become the first golfer from Rutgers to play in the Masters tournament when he tees off April 9 at Augusta National Golf Club. He graduated in 2021 from the School of Arts and Sciences. His invitation came after winning two PGA Tour events this season.

The New Jersey native from Little Silver started 2026 strong. He won the first PGA Tour event in Hawaii. Then in February, Gotterup captured the WM Phoenix Open in a playoff against Hideki Matsuyama, a past Masters champion.

Rob Shutte coached Gotterup during his four years with the Scarlet Knights. He said former players from the program have played in the other three major tournaments, but the Masters remains different — it operates on an invitation-only basis and hosts about 90 players.

"It represents the highest level of a tournament you can get into as a professional golfer," said Shutte, according to Rutgers Foundation. "It's a milestone for our program."

Gotterup won his first PGA Tour event in 2024. Recognition came in 2025 after winning the Scottish Open, where he defeated Rory McIlroy, the 2025 Masters champion. He finished third at the Open Championships last year.

"I definitely wouldn't be where I am today without Rutgers and coach," Gotterup said last year after the Scottish Open.

The Phoenix Open win forced Gotterup to miss the wedding of former teammate Jack Panagos. The wedding party watched the playoff victory at a bar in Orlando.

"I got married on Saturday and my old teammate Chris wasn't able to make it because he had to work," Panagos wrote in a social media post. "Watching him win with the boys was one special wedding gift."

Matt Holuta played with Gotterup during his freshman season. He said the competition makes his success rare. "What he's doing right now — it is so unbelievably competitive," Holuta said. "He's one of the best players in the world right now."

Billy Garbarini captained the men's golf team in 1963. He has donated to the program for decades and has met the professional several times. He plans to watch the opening round.

"Chris was always a gentleman, just a tremendous talent, and he could hit the ball a mile," Garbarini said. "I can't root for him hard enough."