This past weekend saw one of the most unique golf venues on the PGA Tour happen once again. The Waste Management Phoenix Open took place this past week and featured a dramatic finish. Hideki Matsuyama had to hold off Scottie Scheffler and Michael Thorbjornsen, but Chris Gotterup ultimately caught up and beat him after Matsuyama lost focus near the end of the round.
After Gotterup won his fourth tournament on the PGA Tour, he posted the viral clip of a high school football coach saying, “Bring Me My Money.” When speaking with golf reporter Dan Rapaport after his win, Gotterup was asked about the meme and why he posts it after every win. Gotterup said it originated in college, when he would send it to his team; the coaches thought it was great, and it stuck from there.
Gotterup shot 7-under 64 and won with a long birdie putt on the first hole of a playoff Sunday after Matsuyama pulled his tee shot into the water.
“You never know what to expect,” Gotterup said. “We went over to the first tee, hit a couple balls, were watching, and then all of a sudden you’re out there on 18, and everyone is going nuts, and you’re like, all right, this is it.”
One issue Matsuyama faced was two distractions that might have affected how well he played down the stretch. One was from a fan yelling, and the next was from a staff member at the Waste Management Phoenix Open dropping a chair right as he stepped up to the plate.
“I wanted to avoid the playoff as much as I could, but I just hit a bad tee shot there in regulation at 18,” Matsuyama said through an interpreter.
Gotterup also won the season-opening Sony Open in Hawaii this year. He wanted to put pressure on Matsuyama in the playoff and did, uncorking a massive drive down the right side of the fairway.
Matsuyama yanked his tee shot left, caroming it off the far bank of the lake into the water. He hit his third shot onto the green after a drop, but Gotterup left no doubt by sinking his 27-foot birdie putt for his fourth career win and second this year.
