Four minutes in, Messi raced clear and put the ball past Algeria’s keeper, Luca Zidane, only for the offside flag to prevent what would have been a fairytale start. Fans celebrated as if they had won the World Cup. Journalists turned to each other with a look of the inevitable. It was happening. This was just a delay.
There were a few moments of concern when Messi’s studs caught the top of Aissa Mandi’s heel but, no action was taken, and the Argentine took full advantage.
By the 18th minute, Messi’s moment arrived. Twenty-five yards out, he shifted on to his left foot and curled a superb effort towards the top-right corner.
Goalkeeper Zidane – son of France legend Zinedine – got both hands to it, but the strike had too much power. Kansas City Stadium exploded with noise as Argentina fans celebrated Messi’s 14th World Cup goal. It was the start of a historic evening.
As former Everton midfielder Leon Osman observed: “Messi is celebrating like it’s his first World Cup goal. With the ability he has, he never seems to age. It’s a brilliant ball into his feet and, as you’d expect, he finishes it superbly.”
Two decades on from his first appearance on this stage, and now in a record 27th World Cup match, Messi continues to defy his age. Throughout the match, he was constantly scanning for options, constantly anticipating Argentina’s next move. He looked fit, fast and threatening.
After 60 minutes, Messi struck again. A costly error from Zidane allowed the ball to roll into Messi’s path. With typical composure, Messi placed the ball into the net to move within one goal of becoming the joint-top scorer in World Cup history. In doing so, he became the oldest player to score two goals at the World Cup.
To this point, age has not blunted Messi’s ability. Since turning 35, he has scored 10 World Cup goals – more than Harry Kane, Diego Maradona, Cristiano Ronaldo and Thierry Henry have each scored in total.
For the first 5 ½ innings on Tuesday night, there was a whole lot of nothing at Dodger Stadium.
Then, Shohei Ohtani came to the plate in the bottom of the sixth and put a long-awaited jolt into the game.
On a first-pitch, center-cut cutter from Tampa Bay right-hander Drew Rasmussen, Ohtani sent a no-doubt home run sailing deep to center field, opening the scoring in the Dodgers’ eventual 1-0, series-clinching win.
“Old-school baseball game, 1-0,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Really fun baseball game to be part of.”
The blast was Ohtani’s 15th home run of the season, his seventh in the last 17 games, and his fifth in the last nine.
It was the latest sign that he is rediscovering his power stroke, after a stretch of 39 games from April 13 to May 26 in which he hit only three long balls.
“He’s seeing the baseball well, swinging at good pitches,” Roberts said. “And when he uses the big part of the field, there’s just no one better.”
More importantly, it also gave the Dodgers some much-needed run support on a night Justin Wrobleski turned in a scoreless six-inning start.
Up to that point, Wrobleski and Rasmussen had been dueling, keeping either team from even sniffing an opening run.
Shohei Ohtani belts the game-winning solo homer in the sixth inning of the Dodgers’ 1-0 win over the Rays on June 16, 2026 in Los Angeles. Getty Images
After Ohtani’s home run, the rest of the night flew by similarly, with the Dodgers bullpen producing three scoreless innings in a second-straight game –– one each from Will Klein, Kyle Hurt and Tanner Scott, who combined to face the minimum nine batters –– to sew up a shutout that took just 1 hour, 52 minutes, the Dodgers’ quickest nine-inning game since 1992.
“Under two hours is pretty cool, especially when we’ve got a noon game tomorrow,” Wrobleski said. “That’s good for the boys.”
What it means
The Dodgers (47-27) don’t have the best winning percentage in the majors. But after the Atlanta Braves had their game Tuesday postponed by rain, the club does now own the title of winningest team in MLB, surpassing the Braves’ win total with their 47th victory.
Tuesday also secured the Dodgers a series win over the Rays (41-29), improving their home record this season to 24-12.
Who’s hot
Coming off a hamstring contusion last week and pitching on “just” four days of rest (making him only the second Dodgers pitcher to do so this year), Wrobleski had a short leash, getting pulled after just 67 pitches.
Justin Wrobleski held the Tampa Bay scoreless through six innings in the Dodgers win over the Rays. Getty Images
But, the left-hander made his six innings on the mound count, delivering his fifth scoreless start of at least that length this season to outshine Rasmussen in Tuesday’s pitchers’ duel.
It was a prototypical Wrobleski start, keyed by efficiency, soft contact and little need for much swing-and-miss.
Wrobleski held the Rays to only three hits while striking out five batters (three of which came against his first four hitters of the game). He let only one baserunner even reach second. He retired nine of the last 10 he faced.
He is now 8-2 on the season with a 2.72 ERA, continuing to build his case for an unexpected All-Star selection.
“That’s kind of what drives me, is just being the best version of myself and see where that falls,” Wrobleski said of potentially reaching the Midsummer Classic. “It’d be super cool but not (focusing) on it too much. I just want to come in there and contribute each time out.”
Tanner Scott accepts congratulations from catcher Chuckie Robinson after picking up the save in the ninth inning of the Dodgers’ 1-0 win over the Rays in Los Angeles. AP
Who’s not
Anyone worrying about Ohtani’s left knee injury.
On the eve of his next scheduled pitching start on Wednesday, Ohtani threw a bullpen session before Tuesday’s game in what was a final check of his knee after he dealt with swelling coming out of his last trip to the mound last week.
After the game, Roberts confirmed that Ohtani will be good to go for Wednesday’s start, though noted the two-way star will not DH in the game, as well.
Still, it’s another encouraging sign that his knee injury will not be a long-term issue.
Clearly, it’s not affecting him at the plate.
Up next
The Dodgers will go for a three-game sweep of the Rays on Wednesday afternoon, with Ohtani (6-2, 1.06 ERA) set to face Tampa Bay left-hander Shane McClanahan (6-4, 3.23 ERA).
An Oklahoma dad was confronted by an angry customer and was forced to face the cops when he took his two young daughters into a women’s restroom at a gas station.
Tyler Brodsky was traveling back to Oklahoma from Florida over the weekend when he stopped at a QuikTrip in Alabama so his daughters could use the bathroom, according to a now-viral TikTok video he posted Monday.
Brodsky said he took the girls into an empty women’s restroom rather than bring them into the men’s room.
Oklahoma dad Tyler Brodsky had cops called on him after taking his daughters into a women’s restroom at a QuikTrip in Alabama. tiktok.com/@tylerbrodsky2
“I’d rather do that than bring two little girls into a men’s bathroom full of grown men and dirty stalls,” Brodsky wrote in the caption of the TikTok, which has more than 13 million views.
The situation escalated when another customer confronted him after his wife and “very ill” mother-in-law reported that a man was inside the women’s restroom.
Video showed the man arguing with Brodsky and calling the police while the dad helped his daughters wash their hands in the restroom.
“There is a man with two little girls using the women’s bathroom,” the customer complained. “He’s washing his hands with his daughters right now.”
Brodsky’s daughters were crying over the customer’s behavior as a QuikTrip worker stepped in, shut the door on the man, and apologized to Brodsky and his girls.
“There is a man with two little girls using the women’s bathroom,” the customer complained to police. tiktok.com/@tylerbrodsky2
The customer argued that Brodsky should’ve let the female QuikTrip worker take the children into the bathroom and that the dad had “no business” in the women’s bathroom.
In a follow-up TikTok on Tuesday, Brodsky said three police officers responded to the scene and told him he had done nothing wrong.
“The officers let me know I was OK, I didn’t do anything wrong,” he said.
A QuikTrip worker shut the door on the man as Brodsky’s daughters were crying. tiktok.com/@tylerbrodsky2
“Taking two little girls into the men’s restroom could be viewed as negatively as me going to the women’s restroom with my girls,” he added.
Brodsky said officers eventually asked the other man to leave the gas station.
“The officers ultimately asked the man to leave the store,” he said. “What happened next is what I’ll remember the most.
Brodsky said police were called, three officers arrived, told him he did nothing wrong and asked the other man to leave. tiktok.com/@tylerbrodsky2
“The officers came, talked to my girls, made sure they felt safe. They put a good image of police officers for my girls growing up. The QuikTrip employees gave my girls free ices, which is very kind of them.”
Brodsky said his daughters are now “safe, happy, and doing great” and added that the online response showed him that many parents and caregivers have faced similar situations.
“This video brought to my attention something bigger than this incident,” he said. “I’ve received thousands of messages from moms, grandparents, caregivers who have been in similar situations.
“This isn’t about one argument in a gas station. It’s about the fact that parents are often put in situations that aren’t comfortable. We’re simply trying to take care of our children and keep them safe.”
Brodsky later said his daughters are “safe, happy, and doing great” after the incident. tiktok.com/@tylerbrodsky2
“As a dad with two little girls, I made the decision that I felt was best in the moment,” he continued. “I want to be clear about something: I don’t support anyone harassing anyone involved.
“I’m simply sharing what happened to my family and I hope the man that did this will come across this video and realize what he did was wrong and not do it to anyone else.”
“Hopefully it’ll bring attention to people that feel the need to berate a mom or dad trying to take care of their kids,” he added.
A heroic Indiana mother was killed when she stepped in between her son and an 18-year-old gunman who had pulled a firearm on them during a Facebook marketplace sale.
Jean Gragg, 40, and her teenage son were selling a watch to prospective buyer John Ford during an arranged meet-up on the front porch of their Edison Park, Ind., home near the University of Notre Dame on June 10, South Bend Police said.
Gragg’s son had planned to sell the watch to Ford just before 10 p.m.
Jean Gragg died days after she was shot in the head during a robbery while her son was selling a watch he listed on Facebook Marketplace on June 10, 2026. GoFundMe
Family friends said the exchange was common for Gragg’s son, who has made sales through Facebook Marketplace “many times before.”
Ford allegedly pulled out a handgun while he was inspecting the timepiece.
“When Jean stepped in to support her son, the man went over the edge,” family friend Debra McKinley wrote on a GoFundMe.
Gragg, an office manager for H&R Block, wedged herself between the two teens and pushed the suspected gunman away and off her property.
Ford allegedly fired multiple shots at Gragg, who was walking up her driveway back to her home as her horrified family watched.
She was struck in the head by one of the rounds.
John Ford was charged with murder in the deadly shooting that killed Jean Gragg on June 10, 2026. St. Joseph County JailGragg was remembered as a caring person who loved her son up to her death. GoFundMe
Nearby security cameras captured Gragg falling to the ground as Ford ran away, according to court records viewed by WSBT.
Gragg was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition before she was declared brain-dead. She was taken off life support by 6 p.m. on June 13, McKinley said.
Gragg was remembered as a traveler who enjoyed spending time with her son and friends.
“She was a nurturer, if anyone close to her was sick, you could count on her to take excellent care of you,” her family said in an online obituary. “Jean was a dedicated, wonderful mother, very loving and caring, always putting her son first down to her very last breath. (He) was her whole world.”
Gragg was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition before she was declared brain-dead. She was taken off life support by 6 p.m. on June 13. GoFundMe
Ford was tracked down to an apartment complex 2 miles from the scene of the shooting.
Police had also found the suspected gun dumped over a fence at the complex.
Ford allegedly admitted to shooting at Gragg during an interview with police.
He has been charged with murder, attempted murder and robbery in the shooting.
Ford is being held at the St. Joseph County Jail without bond, according to police.
A disgraced New York City teacher could spend decades behind bars after he was caught with a thumb drive full of child porn, including gruesome images of infants being sexually abused.
Joseph Taylor McKeel, a former biology teacher at Independence High School in Hell’s Kitchen, pleaded guilty plea to possession of child pornography in Brooklyn Federal Court on Tuesday, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.
Independence High School teacher Joseph Taylor McKeel pleaded guilty on Tuesday to owning a trove of child sexual abuse images. Peter Gerber
McKeel was arrested on his way to work in March, while he was carrying a backpack that contained a thumb drive with over 150 images of child sexual abuse and a pipe used for smoking methamphetamine, prosecutors said.
The perverted educator — who used the online username “NYSubSlut” — was discovered by the FBI after undercover operatives with the Scottish police caught him trading child porn over Zoom in September.
McKeel was in the meeting with an online group called “Just guys and football” — who were suspected of sharing child porn, the feds said.
His username’s IP address was traced back to him, leading US federal agents to obtain a search warrant for his home. There, investigators uncovered another device containing child sexual abuse material, prosecutors added.
McKeel faces a sentence of 20 years behind bars for child pornography charges. Matthew McDermott
McKeel’s name was scrubbed from the Independence High School website after the bust.
He was previously released on a $200,000 bond and ordered by Brooklyn Magistrate Judge Vera M. Scanlon to be placed in a drug treatment program.
“McKeel possessed graphic images of child sexual abuse, including sexual abuse of infants and toddlers, all while employed in a position of trust as a high school biology teacher,” US Attorney Joseph Nocella said in a statement.
“Prosecuting those who victimize children by feeding the market for child pornography will always be a top priority of our Office and our law enforcement partners,” Nocella added.
McKeel faces 20 years behind bars at his sentencing.
“The bad guys in these cases and in many types of criminal cases utilize open source information and social media information to find their targets and the targets’ vulnerabilities, the pressure point,” said Lisa J. Miller, a retired detective and law enforcement executive at the Colorado Attorney General’s Office. “News releases from companies describing wealth, social media posts showing off big expenditures, big toys, big homes. Many of us put at least some of our lives out there for everyone to see — and it’s usually the happiest part.”
Although wrench attacks can involve complicated crypto transactions, encrypted chats and conspiracies that may cross international borders, the concept is simple: A “mastermind” plans the attack remotely and hires local muscle to carry out a physical abduction, which involves threats and violence to extract ransom.
There have been 34 documented wrench attack incidents in the first four months of 2026, according to the cybersecurity firm CertiK — a 41% increase over last year.
While Guthrie is the 84-year-old mother of NBC’s Savannah Guthrie, Miller said relatives of the real targets can sometimes be hurt in wrench attacks because they are more accessible than the public figures themselves.
Nancy Guthrie is believed to have been abducted from her home in Arizona on Feb. 1, 2026. Courtesy NBC UniversalNBC’s Savannah Guthrie speaks during an interview on the “Today” Show on March 26, 2026. NBC
“Nancy Guthrie could have been viewed by someone watching [her ‘Today’] segment as a vulnerability, Savannah Guthrie’s pressure point,” Miller said.
As a result, everyone could benefit from minimizing the amount of personal information about them online.
“Protecting ourselves requires the usual things we have all been told about before — restrict your social media profiles, never post photos of your home, know who the audience is when you post pictures of your children, family, visible signs of financial security,” Miller said. “Monitor your online presence when it comes to what data is available about you online.”
A masked suspect stands at the front door of Nancy Guthrie during the early hours of Feb. 1, 2026. FBI
There are paid services that specialize in locking down your personal information as it appears online, she added, and some tech firms, such as Google, will help for free.
“It’s all easier said than done because we live in an ever-increasing digital world, where more people know and have the skills to mine open source information to get data about you,” Miller said. “And who hasn’t shared the pictures of the best and prettiest dogs in the world with people they love, or pics of their grandchildren?”
Not everyone who sees those posts is friendly — or even safe, she told Fox News Digital.
“Safety in this digital world is very similar to advice I give women about their personal safety,” she said. “Be aware.”
The timeline of the disappearance of Savannah Guthrie’s mom:
While the vast majority of documented wrench attacks have occurred in France, the United States is a distant second.
CertiK identified Guthrie’s case as an example of “proxy target selection,” meaning someone else could have been physically taken because they were more vulnerable than a wealthy relative. The report noted an early $6 million cryptocurrency ransom demand.
“In more than half of those cases, the real target wasn’t the person taken,” Miller explained, citing CertiK’s report on wrench attacks in the first four months of 2026.
However, law enforcement has not publicly identified Guthrie’s disappearance as connected to a wrench attack.
“The Pima County Sheriff’s Department has not received any reports reference ‘wrench attacks’ in our community,” a spokesperson told Fox News Digital back in May. “The investigation into Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance remains active and ongoing. When there is a significant update, it will be shared publicly.”
Nancy Guthrie’s home in Tucson, Arizona, on Feb. 17, 2026. James Keivom for NY PostWhile the vast majority of documented wrench attacks have occurred in France, the United States is a distant second. FBI
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told Fox News Digital Monday that he’d flagged the CertiK report to investigators on the Guthrie case.
Savannah Guthrie had often spoken of her Tucson roots, and “Today” ran segments highlighting her mother and favorite hometown haunts. But other wrench attack victims have had much lower profiles — yet still showed public displays of wealth that may have led attackers to them, Miller said.
“If Savannah was in fact the target as I and others suspect…someone studied her for a period of time,” Miller said. “That study very likely could have been to find her pressure point because she has security in her New York life and world.”
While authorities have not confirmed whether they are looking into the Guthrie case as a potential wrench attack, the masked man who appeared on her Nest doorbell camera could be the hired muscle, Miller said, with someone more sophisticated pulling the strings and the initial attempts to collect ransom.
Another image from her doorbell camera, taken overnight about three weeks earlier, showed a similar masked figure — a sign that he did scout her home in advance.
“Predators target others for a variety of reasons, and it is not the fault of the victim they were targeted by a monster who brought evil to their doorstep,” Miller said.
Before taking on the challenge of Shinnecock Hills at this week’s U.S. Open, Little Falls, N.J., native and Rutgers product Chris Gotterup sat down for some Q&A with The Post’s Steve Serby.
Q: What would it mean to you to win this U.S. Open?
A: You just want to build yourself to be a major championship player. Obviously, if I could get it done this week at a local U.S. Open, it would be even more meaningful. But at the same time, there’s not pressure on myself to get it done. I just hope that I can give myself a chance coming down the back nine. The U.S. Open has always been one of my favorite tournaments, and hopefully one day I can hoist that trophy. But I’m gonna continue to just do what I’m doing and try to keep my head down and work hard, and then we’ll see where that takes me.
Q: Can you win it?
A: I think if I play how I like to think I can, I think I can get it done and I hope to get it done. But I’m not gonna get ahead of myself as well — [I] haven’t hit a shot yet, so … You just have to keep putting yourself there, and hopefully I do that.
Q: What are the chances if you did win it you would cry afterward?
A: A hundred percent.
Q: Why do you get so emotional after wins?
A:. I don’t know. … I do know but I don’t know. I’m not an emotional guy. I don’t really get choked up or anything. I think it’s just like your brain just goes back to all these moments, the tough times, all so quickly, and the whole day you’re suppressing all those emotions to try to get it done. And then you can finally let it all out and it all just kind of hits you at once, and then you have Amanda [Balionis, CBS golf reporter] or whoever is asking me these questions that are just trying to make you cry. It’s a lot of emotions at once. You did it, you reached the moment you’ve been working so hard for that week in your life. I don’t know why I cry, but you just think about all the people that have helped you, the sacrifice your parents made, your girlfriend [Samantha] who travels and deals with all your s–t on the road. It’s just fun to share it with everyone, and I don’t know why I cry but I do.
Q: Are you into visualization?
A: Whether it’s putting or hitting a shot, I try to see the shot before I hit the shot.
Q: Do you allow yourself to visualize walking to the 18th green with the lead?
A: That’s what I work hard to get to. It’s funny, it’s one of those things where you’re out there the whole time trying to not let yourself do that ’cause I think it takes away from what you’re doing in the moment. When I grew up watching stuff, you’d think about those moments and when you’re practicing on the course … you do it when you’re not there, you think about those moments and you visualize about those moments, but the second that tournament starts, those moments go away and you’re just focused on how can I put myself in the best possible position, and you hope to get to that point. But during the tournament, no, I don’t think about that stuff.
Q: What do you expect from the New York golf crowd?
A: I expect people out in waves. I know logistics are a little tough for this tournament, but I’m sure there’s gonna be a big crowd. Especially after Philly this year. [The] Philly crowd was amazing, they were out in droves, and I expect no different from New York fans. Obviously, they’re riding a high right now, so probably try to keep it going.
Q: Is the New York golf crowd different from others?
A: I would say so. I think they’re probably a little more rowdy. I would say they’re probably similar to Philly in the way they’ll get behind their guys and everyone will be out in droves to watch the best players in the world, and I feel like it’s unique for the Northeast in general just ’cause we aren’t here that much — other than the Travelers, we’re really not consistently in the Northeast. It’s a big deal for us, but I think it makes it even kind of feel bigger when you get the big crowds and people that are hungry for some tournament golf up here.
Chris Gotterup hits a tee shot on the first hole of his U.S. Open practice round at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on June 16, 2026. Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Q: What do you know about Shinnecock?
A: I’ve only been once, so I know a little bit. I know it’s hard. All these U.S. Opens are weather-dependent, and they can get crazy. Last year was really bad weather the last day and made the course even harder than it already is. But I know that it’s not overly like scary like some U.S. Opens where it’s not like there’s water everywhere, or the rough is super high — it’s just a kind of right-in-front-of-you golf course. But the greens are the size of a penny when it gets firm. … It’s just hard. From all accounts, I just remember there’s no … gap in the course where like, “All right, I can get these three holes.” It’s just every hole is trying to punch you in the face. I think the U.S. Open’s unique in the fact that you sign up for that. You know you’re getting yourself into a fight. Everyone’s prepares for it, and I’m gonna try to be as prepared for it as possible.
Q: What do you like best right now about your game?
A: I like the way I’m driving it. I feel like this year’s probably been my most consistent in terms of driving the ball. I’ve been putting pretty well relatively speaking; that’s kind of always been one of my…not issues, but if I putt well, I play well. Everyone else does, too. I’m in a good spot. Obviously got off to a hot start this year, but it’s just a long season, so trying to stay as consistent as possible.
Q: How cool is it for you averaging 327 yards off the tee?
A: It’s cool when it’s going straight, that’s for sure. When it’s not going straight, it’s not as cool. Driver’s my weapon, and if I can use that effectively, then usually I play pretty good if I’m driving it well.
Q: You’re now one of the top American players. What is the main reason for your ascension?
A: I think it’s just a lot of hard work, and a lot of ups and downs that everyone goes through. I’m sure I’ll continue to go through them, but I feel like I’ve always kind of kept my head down and worked on what I thought was right and what my team had thought was right. Whether it was right or wrong, we’re all in on it. Whether it’s blind faith or whatever you want to call it, I was gonna see it through and then get to where I think I could get to, and hopefully I’m not done with that journey yet. I just think I put myself in contention, I’ve tried to do all the right things, I’ve tried to learn from being around some of the best in the world. I feel like I’ve tried to put that into everything that I do, and so far it’s been great and it’s been a lot of fun. It’s been hard but it’s been a lot of fun at the same time, so hopefully continue to keep doing that and putting myself in good positions and trying to keep knocking on the door.
Q: On a scale of 1-10, where is your confidence level?
A: [In the] 8-9 range. I try to take every week as its own separate kind of entity and then obviously look at it on a bigger scale for the whole year. But this week is the biggest week of golf for me. I’m not sitting here trying to put too much pressure on it, at the end of the day it is just one tournament at the same time. But yeah, it’s a big deal and I’m excited, and I feel like I’ve been playing well this year, so just trying to keep that going.
Chris Gotterup hits a pitch shot during his U.S. Open practice round on June 16, 2026. Getty Images
Q: What do you recall about last year’s U.S. Open at Oakmont?
A: I felt like the first day I played not great, the course got me a little bit. I really thought my whole year kind of got kick-started by those two little rounds Friday and Saturday. I shot back-to-back under-par rounds and shot myself from like 100 to 10th or something like that. I think it just gave me the belief that I was shooting scores that were better than most of the field and some of the best players in the world. The last day was hard, I just kept making bogeys. … Even when you’re struggling in those conditions when you’re done, you sit back and you’re like, “That is such a cool tournament.” And you watch J.J.’s [Spaun] putt and it’s just like you just hope one day you can put yourself in that position to do something like that.
Q: Describe your mentality on the golf course.
A: I think it fluctuates, I think it depends on how things are going. I like to think of a tournament as a marathon a little bit … how can I get myself in a place where, come Sunday, I’m in the mix coming down the back nine? I think that’s kind of how we try to think of it. Whether I get off to a great start or not, I’m in the lead after the first round, or kind of slow start and try to just plug along and get to where I need to get to, whether that’s me being aggressive or being kind of conservative. … It really is hard to, like, be the same person every single day, just depending on how you’re playing and what the course gives you. I’ve gotten better at that and dealing with that and then hopefully can put it to work this week.
Q: Biggest adversity you’ve had to overcome?
A: I’d say it probably was in college. I tore my ligament in my thumb the week before COVID. I was an All-American that year and obviously it got cut short ’cause of COVID, but my hand was kind of messed up, so I had a bone graft done and I had a torn ligament in my hand, and it took me probably a legit year to kind of get fully back to where I thought I could be. There were times there where I was shooting 84, 85 in tournaments over the summer when I came back post-surgery and I was like, “This is obviously not good. I might be not the same person that I was before.” I think all that stuff kind of builds some grit and toughness, and I just kind of kept plugging along and tried to get it back, and obviously have come out on the other side and been a better person and player ’cause of it.
But even after my rookie year — I won early in my rookie year — I think I made like five out of 20 cuts to finish the year, and you’re just like, you think you’d win, you think you got it all figured out, you just don’t. There’s just a lot of learning lessons to be had out on the Tour. I’m continuing to learn and trying to use it all and keep pushing forward. It’s not easy, but it’s very rewarding when it goes your way.
Q: What drives you?
A: I love the game, I love the grind of what we do, and the countless hours on the range … and all of the little things that go into hitting the golf ball 72 holes. I love being around the guys, I love working with my team. A lot of what I like comes from my team, my family, girlfriend, everyone pushing me … when I need to be pushed a little bit. And I’m not afraid to go out there and stick my nose out, whether that goes my way or doesn’t go my way, I’ll be happy with leaving it all out there. I just love it, I think it’s the best job in the world, and I’m gonna do everything in my power to keep it as long as I can.
Q: You don’t feel pressure very much, do you?
A: (Laughs) I don’t know about that. I’d be lying through my teeth if I said I didn’t feel pressure. If I don’t feel pressure something’s probably wrong. Going back to Waste Management this year where everyone is rooting for you, and you have to step up there and you have to execute. It feels like your life depends on it at the moment, and to pull off the shots in those moments is the best feeling in the world. It’s the highest of highs. It’s just so much fun. I wish people can understand the adrenaline rush and the pure release that you have … like when that putt goes in, I don’t even remember what happened, it’s just like the craziest 30 seconds of … like you just have no idea what just happened and your life changes — your golf life changes. It’s just so cool. I try to put myself in that moment as best I can.
Q: Your father once said that as a junior golfer you were more likely to wonder what you might order at Taco Bell than go back to the range.
A: I think he’s giving me a little bit of a jab there. I think, now especially, when you look at sports in general, these kids are being professionals at 14, 15 years old, and that’s just not how I functioned. I didn’t really care. I mean, I loved golf when I played and practiced, but I didn’t really care, I was gonna go eat pizzas with my friends and go do all this stuff. I definitely wasn’t in tip-top shape back then either. I don’t know, I just think my maturity took a little while. My parents were never gonna push me to be a pro golfer, I needed to push myself and they would help me in the long run. I think if I was traveling the country as a junior golfer I would have ended up hating golf, just because I didn’t want to do that then. Now I want to do it, and I don’t take it for granted.
Q: After you won the Sony Open you said, “I was in control of my brain.”
A: I just think golf is unique in the fact that you hit the ball and you have to walk five minutes. Your brain is just going nonstop about what could happen — good, bad, ugly. So I just felt like that day I was at peace with the outcome whatever it was gonna be, and I just felt like I was in a good frame of mind and felt like I was … not getting too ahead of myself when I had a two-shot lead or whatever coming down the back. I just really was focused on executing. I wasn’t letting some intrusive thoughts get in the way of what I was gonna do that day. Some days you have it like that, then you feel like you’re unbeatable, then there’s other days where there’s a lot of doubt. You try to override it the best you can.
Ghrist Gotterup pump his fist after finishing off his win in the 2026 Sony Open. Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire
Q: The 2024 Myrtle Beach Classic, your first PGA Tour victory.
A: Obviously, the first one is awesome. It wasn’t a full field event but it still meant equally as much if not more to me. Being a rookie is almost near impossible to keep your card without winning. I remember the last day, I played great all week, had a four-shot lead and couldn’t sleep. I woke up at 3 a.m. and I just went on a walk at the beach for three, four hours to just kind of ease my mind and get all the thoughts out of my head, and show up and bogey the first two holes and my lead [is] gone.
I was really proud of the way I bounced back and closed it out with winning by six. It was a great day, and it kind of just bought me time to develop and mature. ’Cause if I didn’t win, I probably would have lost my card and then who knows where I am now? Maybe not the biggest win of my career so far, but most meaningful for sure just in terms of what it did for me time-wise and faith in my game.
Q: Winning the 2025 Scottish Open.
A: In my interviews I said Myrtle Beach was kind of my foot in the door, and then Scottish I kind of took the other step and I was fully kind of on the PGA Tour at that point. Back to what I was saying, you just practice to put yourself in those moments to go up against one of the best to ever do it on foreign soil, where 99.9 percent of the people were rooting for [Rory McIlroy]. It was just so much fun, and I enjoyed every moment of it. It was emotional for me. The whole day I felt the magnitude of what the day was gonna mean to me whether I did it or not, and to kind of step out on top and get it done was really cool.
Chris Gotterup was all smiles after he won the 2025 Scottish Open. SNS Group via Getty Images
Q: The 2025 British Open, and other highlights?
A: The Open was amazing, some of the best golf I played. Came in third there, that was my best finish in a major by far so far. … Playing my first Masters was really cool, and having a decent week there was awesome.
I think for me now being down in Florida and being around the guys. … I remember when I first came out on Tour, you’re walking down the range and you’re like, “Wow, that guy, he’s won X, he’s won how many majors? This guy’s one of the best in the world.” Now that I’m playing and practicing with those guys that I remember walking down the range and being kind of starstruck by, like, now they’re my friends. I just think that’s been the coolest part of the whole journey. I enjoy being around all the guys, and I think we’re all friends even though we all have very different lives. If you asked me five years ago about it, I would have said you’re probably crazy. It’s just fun, there’s no other way to describe it really.
Q: Did you have a chip on your shoulder being so lightly recruited out of Christian Brothers Academy, N.J.?
A: For sure. I think it’s easier for me to have a chip on my shoulder now about it. I was so happy that I got to go to Rutgers when I first got recruited by them because I didn’t earn all the high praise or anything. I was local, and I played Pro-Ams and state Opens and that was about it. But Rutgers was the best fit for me at the time. I wouldn’t be here without Rutgers and Coach [Rob Shutte]. I try to give back to them as much as they’ve given to me.
I think when I transferred [to Oklahoma] I had a chip on my shoulder. Some people still didn’t give me the time of day when I was transferring, but [Ryan] Hybl at OU, he believed in me, and I believed in him and the team. I think now, more so when I’m out here, there’s only a few guys from the northeast, and I’ve gotten friendly with Keegan [Bradley] — we’ve bounced stuff back and forth off each other — I’ve asked him a bunch of questions and he’s kind of helped me. I think he’s been a great model of being someone that’s very good at golf, and probably a little underlooked just being from the northeast and kind of embracing that, you know — he’s not from Florida, he’s not from Texas, he’s not from California, like, I’ve made it this far on my own. I think I can kind of take some of that as well.
Q: Favorite Rutgers memory?
A: Honestly my favorite part has just been all of my friends that I made from the team, and we still meet up all the time, whether it’s in the city or we do a guys’ trip … just the camaraderie that we still have. I think it speaks to the school and it speaks to the teams that we had. Even though we didn’t win a Big Ten championship or national championship, we’re still super tight, all of our wives and girlfriends are friends.
Q: Favorite Oklahoma memory?
A: We played great as a team the whole year. We’d celebrate at Waffle House in the morning when we came back the next day. It’s such a one-sided sport where everything’s you-you-you. And to have those moments was special.
Q: Can you describe your relationship with your coach, Jason Birnbaum?
A: He’s been my right-hand man in all of this, and he’s been a great sounding board and someone that I trust with my life on the course and off the course. What I like about him is he’s not afraid to tell me, “Hey, you’re acting like a baby,” but he’s also the first person to be like, “You’re on it, just stay on it.” But I also respect him as a person and a coach where I think a lot of guys — we’ve been together for 12 years, 13 years — I’ve had times where I’m like, “I don’t agree with anything you’re saying,” or we are not on the same page, and he’ll be like, “All right, let’s go see someone else and get some ideas from him.” I think a lot of people, I don’t think they can put their ego aside and do that. … He’s been the No. 1 reason why I’ve gotten as far as I have.
Q: Tell me about your caddie, Brady Stockton?
A: Brady’s been on my bag since Dominican Republic last year. The caddie is basically someone that you’re gonna spend more time with than your family. I spend almost more time with Brady than my girlfriend on the road. He’s been great, he doesn’t get too high, he doesn’t get too low. If we have a bad week he’s like, “All right, on to the next one, let’s flush it, let’s go.” But he also keeps me cool when things are going well. I think we just kind of vibe together pretty well. We have good communication. He understands my game. He played at Arizona State at a high level, he is not gonna impose his will on what I’m doing unless he thinks it’s necessary, and he kind of molds his caddying into how I play.
Chris Gotterup and his caddy Brady Stockton look over an upcoming shot during the 2026 PGA Championship. Getty Images
Q: How good of a lacrosse player were you?
A: Obviously not good enough that I played golf. I felt like I was pretty good. I definitely am not the fastest, and not the quickest, but I had a good shot. I think it helped me just interact with people better, and it probably made me a little tougher after getting a couple of concussions and hit with the stick in the arms the whole time — golf, you don’t take as much of a beating.
Q: Favorite golfer growing up?
A: Tiger [Woods] made golf cool. I don’t remember having a favorite golfer per se, but I remember going to the PGA at Baltusrol and I watched J.B. Holmes hit this drive, and it was like the first time I ever saw someone that wasn’t my dad or someone that was a legit pro hit a drive where it was like, “Holy s–t, I’ve never seen anything like that before,” and it just went 340 dead straight.
I’ve always admired in golf and other sports something that I know I can’t do at the time, and watching it and witnessing it in person is cool. I just remember watching Bubba Watson hook these wedges, the wedge shot at the Masters — no one on Earth can probably hit that shot but him, and just appreciating how hard it is to do that. And I think that’s why golf is cool in that respect, too.
Q: Three dinner guests?
A: I’ll put together a foursome for you that I’d like to play golf with. I actually played with Jack Hughes the other day, which was awesome. I’d like to spend 18 with [Jalen] Brunson. I’d like to meet [Roger] Federer, I’ve gotten into tennis and I appreciate the tennis guys.
Q: Favorite movie?
A: “Interstellar.”
Q: Favorite entertainer?
A: Tiesto.
Q: Favorite meal?
A: Chicken vodka wrap at Gianni’s [in Little Silver, N.J.]
Q: Is the Ryder Cup one of your career goals?
A: Yeah, for sure. Especially after last year where I was in the mix but not totally in the mix. I think getting close and feeling it a little bit kind of has sparked a hunger in me to get there. That’s a marathon, where it’s two years worth of hard work, and hopefully I can kind of continue to keep up what I’m doing and hopefully be there at some point.
Q: You’re a Knicks fan?
A: We were in the city last week and it felt like you were at a college campus with everyone just wearing Knicks gear.
Q: What does Father’s Day mean to you?
A: My dad [Morten] has been No. 1 supporter of my journey, and he’s also been the first person to be honest with me. … He got me into the game, and it’s fun now to be able to go home and play. We played nine holes the other night after work. I took 60 bucks off him the other night. He still gets stressed when he’s out there watching me. He’ll be there to tell me when I need to be told something. … Father’s Day is his day, and hopefully we can give him a good Father’s Day.
WASHINGTON — DC City Councilmember Robert White won the Democratic nod Tuesday night to become the first new delegate to Congress from the nation’s capital in 36 years.
White won 63.2% of the vote compared to his City Council colleague Brooke Pinto, who notched 21.5% when the contest was called by the Associated Press just after 12:10 a.m. ET. Wednesday.
He is almost sure to win the delegate post in November and represent one of the most Democratic constituencies in America.
White was seen as the more progressive of the top-tier candidates and had a bruising battle against Pinto, whom observers deemed more of a pragmatist.
Robert White was seen as the more progressive candidate of the frontrunners in the race to become Washington, DC’s delegate. CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty ImagesBrooke Pinto enjoyed a considerable fundraising advantage but took flak for moving to DC from Connecticut during her time in law school. The Washington Post via Getty Images
While White had pushed more left-wing activist causes during his tenure on the Council, Pinto tended to favor more law-and-order and business-friendly policies.
The campaign got nasty back in April after Pinto released a 67-page opposition research dump on White, revealing that his campaign had accepted donations from real estate developers as well as four individuals who donated to President Trump’s past campaigns.
Pinto later apologized for failing to redact key portions of the file, including White’s home address and details about his family.
A fresh face for DC
Eleanor Norton, 89, has been DC’s non-voting delegate to Congress since 1991, and is the oldest person currently serving in the House of Representatives.
Under Article I of the Constitution, only states are afforded full representation in Congress. DC, American Samoa, the US Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands elect delegates who can introduce legislation, provide constituent services, partake in party caucuses, cast votes on congressional committees, and even lead committees.
Retiring Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton held her position for some 35 years. The Washington Post via Getty Images
But they can’t vote on bills that are up for a floor vote.
In recent years, Norton frequently showed signs of confusion or detachment.
Last year, she repeatedly told reporters that she planned to run for re-election, despite her office maintaining that a decision hadn’t been made.
She eventually opted not to seek a 19th term.
Also last year, Norton was scammed out of $4,400 by grifters who claimed to be part of a cleaning crew and charged her credit card for work they didn’t perform, NBC Washington reported.
A DC police report characterized Norton as being in the “early stages of dementia,” per the outlet.
