Oklahoma’s Chris Gotterup wins 2022 Haskins Award as player of the year in men’s college golf

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — When Chris Gotterup transferred from Rutgers to Oklahoma at the end of last season, he wasn’t guaranteed a spot in the lineup for the Sooners, who had just finished runner-up to Pepperdine at the national championship.

So the Little Silver, New Jersey, native did what he does best and got to work. And he kept working and improving all season long. His coaches noticed, his teammates noticed, and his peers noticed, too. Despite finishing just one shot out of a playoff for the individual title at this year’s NCAA Div. I Men’s Golf Championship on Monday evening, Gotterup had done enough to impress the voters and earned the 2022 Haskins Award, given annually to the player of the year in men’s college golf.

“It’s a weird day, but it’s fun, I had a good chance to win coming down the stretch, I gave myself the chances, I hit the shots when it mattered, just didn’t make the putts, but that’s golf and that’s how it goes,” said Gotterup on learning he was the Haskins Award winner shortly after his costly bogey at the end of regulation. “And then to lead up to this, to be named player of the year, it’s a weird feeling, you know? It’s pretty cool.”

“I think the evolution of his understanding of who he is, you go back to the fall, he knew how good he was, but I don’t know if he quite understood he could be the best player in the country,” said Oklahoma head coach Ryan Hybl. “It took the fall for him to be able to go, ‘I’m the man, I can beat all these guys.’ So it’s been fun because this whole spring, he’s been a different guy. As far as mentally he’s just known that he’s gonna be the best guy in the country. He’s worked his ass off for it, too.”

In 12 starts this season, Gotterup has two wins at the East Lake Cup and Puerto Rico Classic and finished in the top five in six events, including a second-place showing at the Big 12 Championship and T-5 at the NCAA Championship.

“I definitely knew I had a good chance, I’ve had a good year I’m not going to deny that but if I go out and win (the national championship), I would assume it’s a for sure thing, but then to not win, you never know,” the senior said of his unique situation. “It’s up to the people to vote and it’s an awesome position to be in.”

Gotterup is the first Sooner to win the Haskins Award, which dates back to 1971 and has been given to the likes of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Justin Thomas, David Duval and Ben Crenshaw, to name a few. This year’s award set a record for voting and featured an impressive pool of future professional talent.

“It’s obviously super important for our program to have things like this happen,” explained Hybl. “It’s no different than guys getting on the PGA Tour, it’s just a very proud moment.”

Gotterup has professional aspirations, and after finishing in the top 15 of the final PGA Tour University standings, he’ll have status on PGA Tour Canada as soon as his week in the desert with the Sooners ends.

“I don’t like to think too far ahead,” said Gotterup on what the award could do for his career. “I’m sure it will do something, this is a big deal, but I’m just gonna keep playing good golf and it’ll take care of itself.”

“His leadership and his confidence in himself I think totally bleeds into the rest of the guys, there’s no doubt about it,” said Hybl, who praised Gotterup’s preparation and work ethic. “He doesn’t come to the office every day to just slap it around. He knows he has a lot of room for growth in his game and hasn’t evened sniff how good he can really be. It’s gonna be fun to watch him over the next 10 years, I think you’re gonna see some big things.”

List of Haskins Award winners

2022 – Chris Gotterup, Oklahoma

2021 – John Pak, Florida State

2020 – Sahith Theegala, Pepperdine

2019 – Matthew Wolff, Oklahoma State

2018 – Norman Xiong, Oregon

2017 – Braden Thornberry, Ole Miss

2016 – Beau Hossler, Texas

2015 – Maverick McNealy, Stanford

2014 – Patrick Rodgers, Stanford

2013 – Michael Kim, California

2012 – Justin Thomas, Alabama

2011 – Patrick Cantlay, UCLA

2010 – Russell Henley, Georgia

2009 – Matt Hill, North Carolina State

2008 – Kevin Chappell, UCLA

2007 – Jamie Lovemark, USC

2006 – Pablo Martin, Oklahoma State

2005 – Ryan Moore, UNLV

2004 – Bill Haas, Wake Forest

2003 – Hunter Mahan, Oklahoma State

2002 – Graeme McDowell, Alabama-Birmingham

2001 – Bryce Molder, Georgia Tech

2000 – Charles Howell III, Oklahoma State

1999 – Luke Donald, Northwestern

1998 – Matt Kuchar, Georgia Tech

1997 – Brad Elder, Texas

1996 – Tiger Woods, Stanford

1995 – Stewart Cink, Georgia Tech

1994 – Justin Leonard, Texas

1993 – David Duval, Georgia Tech

1992 – Phil Mickelson, Arizona State

1991 – Phil Mickelson, Arizona State

1990 – Phil Mickelson, Arizona State

1989 – Robert Gamez, Arizona

1988 – Bob Estes, Texas

1987 – Billy Mayfair, Arizona State

1986 – Scott Verplank, Oklahoma State

1985 – Sam Randolph, USC

1984 – John Inman, North Carolina

1983 – Brad Faxon, Furman

1982 – Willie Wood, Oklahoma State

1981 – Bob Tway, Oklahoma State

1980 – Bobby Clampett, BYU

1979 – Bobby Clampett, BYU

1978 – Lindy Miller, Oklahoma State

1977 – Scott Simpson, USC

1976 – Phil Hancock, Florida

1975 – Jay Haas, Wake Forest

1974 – Curtis Strange, Wake Forest

1973 – Ben Crenshaw, Texas

1972 – Ben Crenshaw, Texas

1971 – Ben Crenshaw, Texas