Gotterup wins individual title, Sooners shoot record 59-under to win Puerto Rico Classic

RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico – Chris Gotterup claimed the individual title and No. 1 Oklahoma shattered the program record vs. par, firing a 59-under to win the Puerto Rico Classic Tuesday. The team’s 54-hole score of 805 at the par-72, 7,152-yard Grand Reserve Golf Club tied the program record for tournament score.

The win marks the program’s third of the season, 46th all-time and 32nd of the Ryan Hybl era, which began in 2009-10. The Sooners (805, -59) have posted a top-three finish in 26 of their last 27 regular-season events. Gotterup’s (196, -20) victory earns him an invite to the PGA Tour’s Puerto Rico Open, slated for March 3-6.

“Just a great week all around for us,” Hybl said after the win. “We have been excited just to get back on the road and this group has great chemistry. We had some great rounds all week long and we knew we had to keep the pedal down today. There’s nothing better than having the low final round and we’ll keep building from there.”

The top-ranked Sooners posted a 54-hole score of 805, tied for the lowest score in program history. The 805 was powered by a program-record 80 birdies and led to a school-record 59-under score vs. par, shattering the previous program-best score of 48-under by 11 strokes. Hybl’s team matched its opening-round score of 268 in the tournament’s final round Monday to erase a four-shot deficit and knock off No. 12 Georgia by six strokes.

Gotterup’s win marked his second consecutive as the top-ranked player in college golf won the East Lake Cup last fall. The Little Silver, N.J., product’s 20-under score vs. par is the second lowest in OU history, trailing only Abe Ancer’s -21 at the 2011 Desert Shootout. In addition, his overall score of 196 made him the sixth Sooner all-time to break the 200-stroke mark – all six players have competed under Hybl.

“Chris played amazing all week just like he has been back home,” Hybl added. “We’re so proud of him for winning this week and securing the PGA Tour spot in two weeks down here on this course.”

Patrick Welch (T6, -14), who set the program on Saturday with a 10-under par 62, posted a 70 (-2) to grab a share of sixth place, the seventh top-10 finish of his career. Welch posted an eagle on the par-5 fifth hole Tuesday and closed with a birdie to get back into the top 10.

True freshman Drew Goodman (T9, -13) posted his second-career top-10 finish by carding back-to-back rounds in the 60s in the final two rounds. With his strong week, the Norman product lowered his season stroke average to 71.69, which would be the third lowest for a freshman in school history.

Senior All-American Logan McAllister (T16, -11) signed for a 65 (-7) Tuesday to jump into the top 20 on the leaderboard, claiming a share of 16th and his 15th career top-10 finish. McAllister hasn’t placed outside the top 20 in any event this season.

It’s the first time in school history that four Sooners shot 11-under par or better for a 54-hole tournament.

Stephen Campbell Jr. (T52, -3) rounded out the OU lineup Tuesday, posting a 71 (-1) for the third consecutive day. Playing as individuals, Ben Lorenz (T37, -6) and Jaxon Dowell (T44, -5) notched top-50 placements.

The Sooners take a few weeks off before teeing it up at the Southern Highlands Collegiate Feb. 27-March 1 at Southern Highlands Golf Club.

BY THE NUMBERS

• OU’s team score of 805 is tied for the lowest score in program history (2019 Ka’anapali Classic) and the -59 vs. par breaks the previous program record of -48 at the 2011 Desert Shootout by 11 shots.
• Gotterup’s 196 is tied for the third-lowest score all-time at OU in a 54-hole tournament and his 20-under vs. par is tied for the second behind only Abe Ancer’s -21 at the 2011 Desert Shootout.
• Welch’s 14-under par mark is T8 all-time at Oklahoma.
• 80 birdies is a program record for a 54-hole event.
• First time in school history to have four players in the lineup post 205 or better and 11-under or better.
• Set program-bests in 36-hole score vs. par (-39) and the team’s two rounds of 268 (-20) are the sixth lowest all-time.
  

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