Mark Cannizzaro How one lesson put New Jersey’s Chris Gotterup, coach on 13-year year road to realistic Masters chance By Mark Cannizzaro Published April 6, 2026, 9:08 p.m. ET Chris Gotterup stands on the eighth hole during a practice round ahead of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Augusta, Ga. AP AUGUSTA, Ga. — Chris Gotterup was a burly 13-year-old when he took his first lesson from Jason Birnbaum.
It would prove to be the most important lesson of Gotterup’s life.
And neither he nor Birnbaum had any idea at the time.
Some 13 years later, Gotterup, who grew up in Little Silver, N.J., is playing in his first Masters this week as a four-time PGA Tour winner with a world ranking of No. 9.
