FFor a few years now, there has been an understandable conversation about the PGA Tour’s great divide — the one between the money-filled, limited-field events and the so-called regular tour events — and the two-tiered system it has, perhaps unknowingly, created.
To some extent, it coincided with the exodus of name players to LIV Golf a few years ago and raised the question of where the PGA Tour could mine its new stars if most of its focus were on a handful of events already populated by the household names.
Fear not, the PGA Tour is doing just fine, generating new name players, the most recent of which is Chris Gotterup, who climbed from outside the world’s top 20 to the top 20 a year ago after his season-opening victory at the Sony Open in Hawaii.
While LIV understandably appears to have shifted its focus to attracting top young talent – Tuesday’s announcement that reigning NCAA champion Michael La Sasso has joined Phil Mickelson’s HyFlyers GC team is another indication – the PGA Tour continues to produce new stars.
Gotterup follows the example of Ben Griffin, who won three times in 2025, was part of the US Ryder Cup team last fall and is now one of the more recognizable players on tour.
Add in Akshay Bhatia, the up-and-coming Ryan Gerard and the emergence of Cam Young, Sepp Straka and Robert MacIntyre, and the tour continues to seed the current and near future with relatively new blood.
Some players find a moment, seize it and then disappear back into the crowd. However, Gotterup is perhaps built for the longer term.
He won the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic in the spring of 2024, but it was last summer when Gotterup blossomed. His win at the Genesis Scottish Open shone as he stopped Rory McIlroy in the final round and a week later Gotterup was in contention to win the Open Championship at Royal Portrush until Scottie Scheffler finally pulled out.
“It always helps to have a win or two under your belt, if you go the distance knowing you did it and that you can perform under pressure. – Chris Gotterup
It was enough that Gotterup’s name was at the center of the Ryder Cup conversation as captain Keegan Bradley considered his six big choices. In the end, Griffin, Sam Burns and Collin Morikawa were given spots, leaving Gotterup on the outside, a decision that attracted increasing attention after the Americans lost the Ryder Cup and neither Burns nor Morikawa won a match.
Gotterup’s performance at the Sony Open was rock solid, effectively removing any potential drama from the final nine holes as he used his exceptional driving skills to overpower Waialae Country Club. McIlroy was playing in Dubai and Scheffler was a week away from making his debut in 2026, but Gotterup looked like an emerging player. He looked as at ease as a tourist walking on the beach of nearby Waikiki.
“It always helps to have one or two wins under your belt, when you go through the journey knowing that you’ve done it and that you can perform under pressure. I felt like I did an excellent job of that,” Gotterup said on Sunday.
“A lot of these tournaments you just have to hang in there as long as you can and keep fighting. I felt like I did a great job of that this week. When I got momentum, I kept it and I didn’t waste it at any point.”
Gotterup has now won at least once in each of his first three seasons on the PGA Tour and, with a swing that has a hint of homespun flavor, has both the modern power and success to suggest he has staying power.
Meanwhile, La Sasso’s announcement offered more evidence that despite the loss of Brooks Koepka to the PGA Tour, LIV continues to follow its own path while attracting enough talent to matter.
“It’s a rare opportunity to learn from one of the greatest players in the history of the game, and I don’t take that lightly.” – Michael LaSasso
Thomas Detry, who won the 2025 WM Phoenix Open, jumped to LIV this year, as did Ben An, who has been playing on the PGA Tour for years.
La Sasso’s decision, which costs him his invitation to the Masters for turning pro, echoes the decisions of 2024 U.S. Amateur champion Jose Luis Ballester and other young players including Caleb Surratt, Eugenio Chacarra and David Puig.
Chacarra flamed out at LIV after winning one event and, after being relegated from the competition, is trying to restart his career with his eyes on the PGA Tour.
La Sasso was a finalist last year for both the Jack Nicklaus and Fred Haskins awards, which recognize the best collegiate men’s golfer.
“It’s a rare opportunity to learn from one of the greatest players in the history of the game, and it’s something I don’t take lightly,” La Sasso said in a statement about Mickelson joining the team.
For Gotterup and La Sasso there are different paths and different destinations.
#spoils #youth