In this week’s “The Starter,” Chris Gotterup shoots a final-round 62 to win the John Deere Classic, Padraig Harrington successfully defends his U.S. Senior Open title at Scioto Country Club, and Max Homa finishes solo second at TPC Deere Run for his best result of the season.

The PGA Tour: Chris Gotterup Closes With 62 to Win the John Deere Classic

Chris Gotterup started Sunday at the John Deere Classic five shots off the lead. He finished it as the champion.

Gotterup closed with a bogey-free 9-under 62 at TPC Deere Run, finishing at 20 under and one shot ahead of Max Homa. It was the fifth PGA Tour victory of Gotterup’s career and his third win of the 2026 season, joining earlier victories at the Sony Open in Hawaii and WM Phoenix Open.

The final round was the best score of the day and the second-lowest 18-hole score of Gotterup’s PGA Tour career. He made nine birdies, matched his career high for birdies in a round, needed just 23 putts, and went 4-for-4 in scrambling.

Gotterup’s win also continued a rapid rise. According to the PGA Tour’s final-round notes, he became the fifth player since 2000 to earn a fifth PGA Tour victory in 85 starts or fewer, joining Collin Morikawa, Bryson DeChambeau, Jordan Spieth, and Rory McIlroy on that list.

The win moved him from No. 12 to No. 6 in the FedExCup standings. Gotterup entered the week as the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 14 in the Official World Golf Ranking.

The John Deere Classic has had an important place in Gotterup’s career. He received a sponsor exemption into the 2022 event and finished tied for fourth, a result he said helped launch his professional path at a time when he had no status. After the win, Gotterup said that coming back and winning at TPC Deere Run made the tournament even more meaningful.

There was also a family element to the week. Gotterup’s regular caddie, Brady, was away after the birth of his child, so Gotterup’s brother, Patrick, was on the bag. Gotterup said afterward that they had planned the week months in advance, hoping to have fun and compete, but winning together made it a moment they would not forget.

Gotterup said the first three rounds were not his best, but he felt he stayed close enough to give himself a chance. He described that as an area where he has improved, saying his “not so good stuff” has gotten better and that he was able to keep himself in the tournament until Sunday’s round came together.

A key moment came at the 17th hole, where Gotterup converted a difficult par save from roughly 15 feet. Asked afterward if he could have handled that kind of moment two years ago, he said he did not think he would have been in that position or handled his less-than-perfect golf as well as he did this week.

The win came in Gotterup’s fourth appearance at the John Deere Classic. His previous results at the event were a tie for fourth in 2022, a missed cut in 2024, and a tie for 21st in 2025.

Max Homa Finishes Solo Second, Ben Kohles Takes Another Step

Max Homa finished one shot behind Gotterup after closing with a 7-under 64. It was Homa’s first top-three finish since the 2024 Masters Tournament and his best finish of the 2026 season.

Homa finished at 19 under after rounds of 67, 66, 68, and 64. He said afterward that he was proud of the patience he showed, especially after feeling he had putted too aggressively at times earlier in the week. Homa said his game felt good enough that he believed he was always “a swing away” from making birdie.

The back nine was where Homa made his move. He said the run was not sparked by one specific shot, but by staying upbeat and positive after the 10th hole and believing he could make birdies from there. He also said TPC Deere Run has become a good fit for him, noting that he has not always played his best golf on courses where players have to go deep to contend.

Homa credited Gotterup’s play, but also said he felt he had chances to catch him. He played with Gotterup on Saturday and called him a phenomenal player and “the nicest dude,” while acknowledging that he needed to be a little sharper to win.

Ben Kohles finished tied for third at 18 under with Lucas Glover and Lee Hodges. Kohles started the final round tied for the lead and was in position late before his approach on the 18th hole found the water.

Afterward, Kohles said he was between clubs on the final approach and tried to hit a three-quarter 8-iron, but tugged it slightly. He called it a tough way to finish, especially after playing well all week, but said he was proud of his performance and believed the experience would help him going forward.

Kohles had won on the Korn Ferry Tour earlier this season and was trying to become the first player since Matt McCarty in 2024 to win on both the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour in the same season. He said this was his third time playing in the final group on Sunday on the PGA Tour and the best he had felt in that position.

Glover and Hodges also finished tied for third. Glover, a 54-hole co-leader, posted his best PGA Tour finish of the season, while Hodges recorded his best finish at the John Deere Classic and his second top-10 of the year.

Zach Johnson, a native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, finished tied for ninth at 16 under. The PGA Tour noted that Johnson became the third player age 50 or older to finish inside the top 10 at the John Deere Classic, joining Sam Snead in 1974 and Steve Stricker in 2017.

Preston Stout, the No. 1-ranked player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, finished tied for 15th at 14 under. It was his best PGA Tour finish in four starts.

PGA Tour Champions: Padraig Harrington Defends the U.S. Senior Open

Padraig Harrington successfully defended his U.S. Senior Open title Sunday at Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio.

Harrington closed with a 4-under 66, the low round of the day, and finished at 12 under. He won by four shots over Stewart Cink, who finished second at 8 under. George McNeill finished third at 6 under.

The victory was Harrington’s third U.S. Senior Open title, matching Miller Barber for the most in championship history. Harrington also became the fourth player to successfully defend a U.S. Senior Open title, joining Barber, Gary Player, and Allen Doyle.

It was Harrington’s fourth senior major championship and his 12th win on PGA Tour Champions. He moved to No. 2 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings after beginning the week at No. 12.

Harrington started the final round one shot behind Cink, who had won the first two senior majors of 2026. Harrington birdied the first two holes Sunday, quickly turning a one-shot deficit into a three-shot lead.

He said afterward that the start changed the day, but he still had to stay focused. Harrington said the lead allowed him to play more toward the middle of greens and avoid creating unnecessary stress down the stretch.

Putting was a major part of the win. Harrington said he had a great week on the greens and added that “golf is easier when you putt well.” He also pointed to a birdie on the eighth hole as one of the biggest moments of the final round. On that hole, Harrington made a long birdie putt while Cink made bogey, creating a two-shot swing.

Scioto played difficult throughout the week. The final-round scoring average was 71.183 on the par-70 course, and Harrington’s 66 was the best score of the round. He said the course asked for patience, focus and the ability to accept what it gave players.

Cink finished runner-up at the U.S. Senior Open for the second straight year, both times behind Harrington. Cink had been trying to become the first player in PGA Tour Champions history to win three consecutive senior majors contested.

Despite the runner-up finish, Cink remained No. 1 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings. The PGA Tour Champions notes said Cink has finished in the top six in all 10 of his starts this season and in each of his last 12 starts dating back to last year.

Harrington and Cink have now combined to win the last five majors on PGA Tour Champions. Harrington won the 2025 U.S. Senior Open, 2025 ISPS HANDA Senior Open and 2026 U.S. Senior Open, while Cink won the 2026 Senior PGA Championship and Regions Tradition.

Harrington also earned an exemption into the 2027 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links with the victory.

The Closing Thought

The week in professional golf produced two very different Sunday winners.

At the John Deere Classic, Gotterup came from five shots back with a final-round 62 and won for the third time this season. At the U.S. Senior Open, Harrington took control early, defended his title and tied the championship record for most victories.

Homa’s runner-up finish also gave the PGA Tour another notable storyline. He did not win, but his solo second was his best finish of the season and his strongest result since the 2024 Masters. Kohles’ finish was more difficult, but his tie for third still continued a strong stretch and put him in contention deep into Sunday.

The John Deere Classic was about low scoring, late movement, and Gotterup’s ability to post a number that held up. The U.S. Senior Open was about control, patience, and Harrington’s ability to close on a major championship setup.

Together, they made for a busy Sunday across the PGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions.

Gotterup left TPC Deere Run with another win, more FedExCup momentum, and a growing place among the game’s top young winners. Harrington left Scioto with another major title, another U.S. Senior Open trophy, and a place alongside Miller Barber in the championship record book.