Matt Kuchar found himself in a unique situation during the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club on Sunday. While Aaron Rai celebrated his first PGA Tour victory, Kuchar made the surprising choice not to complete his final hole. He stood in a tie for 12th place, participating as one of the final group of players. With dwindling daylight, he decided against playing his second shot on the 72nd hole.
As cameras focused on Rai signing his scorecard, they quickly shifted to Kuchar, who was marking his ball in the rough, 212 yards from the hole. CBS on-course reporter Dottie Pepper shared that Kuchar had opted out of playing any more golf that day. CBS analyst Trevor Immelman questioned this choice, pointing out that no horn had been sounded to indicate darkness. However, another rules official clarified that it was indeed past sunset, which led to informing Kuchar and his fellow players, Max Greyserman and Chad Ramey, instead of using a horn.
While Greyserman and Ramey finished their hole, Kuchar now must return on Monday morning to complete his tournament. The scenario appeared odd, especially since Kuchar had hurriedly hit his drive on the 18th tee after a successful birdie on the 17th. He nearly interfered with Rai, who was still preparing for his second shot.
Entering the tournament ranked 113th in the FedExCup standings, Kuchar faced elimination from the playoffs even if he parred the final hole. A par would yield him $134,695, while a birdie would boost his earnings to $223,833. A bogey would lower his payout to $77,025.
After his decision, Kuchar explained to Golf Channel how he meant to set an example for Greyserman, suggesting that by not playing, he hoped to show him the importance of making the right call in tough conditions. Kuchar remarked, “We were so far past when we should’ve stopped playing.”
Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee expressed confusion over Kuchar’s actions. He questioned why Kuchar had teed off if his intention was to stop, suggesting it could have disrupted Rai’s rhythm. Paige Mackenzie, also from Golf Channel, felt that Greyserman should be free to make his own decisions without Kuchar’s influence.
Ultimately, Kuchar will have more golf to play, though it’s uncertain how many fans will attend on Monday morning. CBS announcer Jim Nantz remarked, “I don’t expect we’re going to be bringing you that coverage tomorrow.”