26-Year-Old Matches Scottie & Rory

Hey Golf Fans,

Good morning! Today is a bit special. No, not because it’s National Popcorn Day. Today, we're launching Essentially Golf’s fresh new look, where every detail is more pronounced with a touch more golf. We’ll start the edition with the Sony Open champion and his many records, then move to Keith Mitchell’s bunker shot, Shane Lowry’s poor luck, and an update from the Korn Ferry Tour.

Let's dive in...

Winning the Sony Open was quite the challenge for Chris Gotterup. Talking about it? Even tougher. With leis festooned around his neck, the 26-year-old choked up in tears, stammering, "Can't get through this part every time.” Look at the emotional moment to understand how much it meant for the youngster.

Gotterup began Sunday two shots behind Davis Riley in a three-way tie for second. But an easy up and down for birdie at the par-5 9th helped him escape the logjam. At the same time, Riley tripped with bogeys on 6th and 7th, along with a double at 8th.

On the 12th, Gotterup drained a 21-footer, then a 26-footer on the next hole to build a two-shot edge. He nailed a 12-foot birdie on 17 for a three-shot lead, fending off Ryan Gerard, and finished with an easy par on the 18th for a 16-under 264. Riley (11-under) faded to T6, Gerard (14-under) at solo second, and Patrick Rodgers (13-under) at solo third.

Gotterup climbed to No. 17th in the World Ranking. But more than that, he is the third player to win at least one title in the last three seasons. The other two are Rory McIlroy (eight consecutive seasons) and Scottie Scheffler (four consecutive seasons). Gotterup also became the sixth player to have three-plus wins since the start of 2024.

Bigger Picture:

Meanwhile, defending champ Nick Taylor settled for T13, Jordan Spieth T24. But the real shocker was Vijay Singh, who fired a 69 to snag T40. He’s only the fourth PGA Tour player aged 62 and older to break 70 thrice in a week over the last 20 years. Quite a show he put up at Hawaii.

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Bunkerplay: On Saturday, at the Sony Open, Keith Mitchell was stuck in a plugged lie in the bunker on the par-5 15th. Textbook move was to open the clubface and hope for the best. Instead, Keith took a gamble and pulled off this ingenious trick that will blow your mind. Check out below and tell us: can you do any better?

Meanwhile, Shane Lowry wasn’t so lucky. At the Dubai Invitational, the Irishman squandered his one-shot lead on the 72nd hole. Blasting his wedge from a greenside bunker, Lowry could only watch in dismay as his ball skidded across the green to splash into the water. This will sink your heart.

Special: Nacho Elvira won the Dubai Invitational, but Sunday's round was a proper battle with demons. On the 11th, the Spaniard faced a daunting lie with his ball stuck at the lip of the fairway bunker. Hunching down, he managed an audacious recovery – watch the shot of the week here. The victory was sweet, and the celebration with his kids was sweeter. Listen to his heartwarming confession he made with his daughter tucked on his lap.

Bonkers: Rory McIlroy’s Sunday at the Dubai Invitational was a rollercoaster — three bogeys and five birdies. But the first tee shot? Pure bliss. Hear what 190 MPH ball speed sounds like. But one moment topped even that. A reporter told Rory that he has six runner-ups, 15 top-fives, and only one win in season openers. His reaction was pure gold as you can see here.

Saturday’s Results: 90.51% of you said LIV Golf has become less appealing to top pros.

ANGC: Mateo Pulcini punched his ticket to the Masters, U.S. Open, and The Open by edging out Paz Valdes of Venezuela at the Latin America Amateur Championship. On the first playoff hole, Pulcini’s shot threaded past the trees, landing 40 yards short. He drained a par for an extra hole. On the second playoff hole, Paz flubbed a flyer right off the green into a dirt patch by a tree. He missed par, whereas Pulcini two-putted for the victory. Watch the funny celebration that followed. Pulcini is the third Argentine winner and the oldest overall at 25.

Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia: In another playoff, at the Vic Open – Men, Cameron John (8-under 280) outlasted Nathan Barbieri on the first hole. John’s 3-iron off the tee but flew the green long with his second. Barbieri couldn’t get up-and-down for a birdie, handing John his second title of the season. Take a look at how he celebrated with his family afterwards. Meanwhile, Wales’ Lydia Hall sauntered to an effortless four-shot victory at the WPGA Tour of Australasia’s Vic Open – Women.

Korn Ferry Tour: For the cynics griping that golf's gone to the dogs, this tale'll restore your faith. Ben Silverman felt queasy, so he pulled out of the Bahamas Great Abaco Classic after the first round. He felt sorry for the first alternate, Tom Whitney. Check out what he did next to make amends. Meanwhile, the Bahamas event is on ice due to darkness, with Ben Taylor leading after 15 holes and four pros knotted for second. The tournament will end on Wednesday, and you can surely expect the winner to dance with the locals as Taylor Dickson did here.

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Most golfers arrive on the range, hit a few balls, and head to the first tee. But not Vijay Singh, who hits the range with a quirky Orange Whip Trainer — notice how Vijay is using it for tempo and balance. Here's how you can use it too.

• Slide your hand down to the bottom of the grip on the whip. Use just one hand with fingers wrapped around and the thumb on top.

• Tilt into your address position and let your arms hang freely. Push the whip forward gently, allowing it to swing back and forth naturally. Rotate your torso accordingly.

• Focus on the subtle forearm rotation and the wrist hinge. How much rotation and hinge is normal? Observe PGA Pro and the developer of the Orange Whip Trainer, Jim Hackenberg’s arms in the video below.

The swing action will mirror that of a tennis forehand and backhand. This will loosen up your upper body before you hit your first tee shot. But that’s not the only use of Orange Whip; we’ve listed other easy drills below.

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