Monday, January 19th, 2026 Balls & Bogeys Golf News Edition

Chris Gotterup opens PGA Tour season by winning Sony Open

– by ESPN News Services

Per ESPN: “Chris Gotterup had leis draped around his neck, a flute of champagne in one hand and the gold Sony Open trophy in the other for the traditional toast from the Waialae members Sunday evening. He has loved coming to Hawaii, even if the occasion was never worth celebrating…”

B&B POV: If you squint a little and watch Chris Gotterup play under pressure, he sure is Koepka’esque, especially wearing his Nike gear. Broad-shouldered, barely talks on the course, takes huge rips, plays smart. The kid’s got big game. He’s not going to stop winning anytime soon and has the mentality and bravado to collect Major trophies.

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What’s in the Bag (WITB) Presented by Worldwide Golf: Chris Gotterup, 2026 Sony Open in Hawaii

– by Thomas Hamden / Balls & Bogeys

Per Thomas: Chris Gotterup’s win at the Sony Open in Hawaii wasn’t about a single hot stretch or a lucky week on the greens. It was the product of a skill set that continues to mature, and making all golf fans—and his peers—take notice: controlled power, disciplined ball-striking, steady putting, and equipment that fits the demands of a high-level professional swing. The kid’s got game. In spades…

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Winners, Losers & Payouts from the 2026 Sony Open in Hawaii

– by Thomas Hamden / Balls & Bogeys

Per Thomas: The 2026 Sony Open in Hawaii delivered exactly what golf fans expect from Waialae Country Club: low scores, dramatic swings on Sunday, and one player who kept his foot on the gas while others blinked. That player was Chris Gotterup, who charged past the field with a closing 64 to claim his third PGA Tour victory — and a very healthy paycheck —$1.638 million of the $9.1 million purse…

Click the button to view the full payouts:

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Can Bryson DeChambeau really command $500 million from LIV Golf?

– by Tom D’Angelo / Golfweek

Per Tom: “Bryson DeChambeau knows exactly what he is doing…”

B&B POV: This take is spot on. Bryson holds all the cards. Would anyone blame the guy if he pockets $250-500 million to continue on the fledgling Saudi circuit? No. And anyone who says otherwise believes the Earth is flat and “internet golf interest” is a short-term fad. Bryson is golf’s biggest star not named Tiger, and unlike Tiger, he’s playing some of the best golf of his career and gaining thousands of fans, young and old, daily. He’s the modern-day Phil.

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2026 Genesis Invitational at Riviera

Be part of the roars as The Genesis Invitational, Los Angeles’ signature PGA TOUR tournament, returns to The Riviera Country Club February 19-22, 2026. Be part of the action as legacies are defined, legends rise and stars shine the brightest.

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Photo: Yu Chun Christopher WongEurasia Sport Images/Getty Images

‘Best Tour in world’: Patrick Reed shocks with PGA Tour return comments

– by Kevin Cunningham / GOLF

Per Kevin:“Throughout Patrick Reed’s lengthy pro golf career, controversy has tended to follow him. It’s why it was little surprise when Reed made the controversial decision to join the first wave of pros who ditched the PGA Tour for LIV Golf in 2022…”

B&B POV: Last week, LIV’s Patrick Reed, in an interview with the Telegraph, stated that one day he’d like to return to the PGA TOUR, the “best tour in the world.”

On behalf of 99.9% of golfers everywhere:

No thank you, Patrick.

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