Tour pro claims Matt Kuchar’s “mask slipped” with Wyndham antics

Eddie Pepperell has become the latest pro golfer to question Matt Kuchar’s refusal to finish at the Wyndham Championship. 

Kuchar drew derision in golf circles last Sunday when he decided to delay the completion of the PGA Tour event and return on Monday morning.

The nine-time PGA Tour winner was the only player not to finish the 72nd hole as darkness descended in North Carolina, despite already being out of contention in the tournament and the FedEx Cup Playoff race.

Kuchar later apologised to the officials who were forced to return with him to the course on Monday, but the events still caused quite the stir on social media.

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PGA Tour pro Michael Kim wrote on X that “it’s wild to me that he chose not to finish.”

And speaking on the latest episode of the Chipping Forecast, Pepperell has now weighed in with a similar verdict.

“I could not imagine, and I’m not saying there is a right or wrong way to be in life, you know, but I just could not imagine myself doing that,” the Englishman said.

“I would want to get off [the course] as quick as anyone. He wasn’t having a great day – he’s having a bad day, he’s hit a bad tee shot.

“I would want to get out of there and I think most golfers would want to get out of there.”

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Kuchar, who has made close to $60million in prize money across his career, created unwanted headlines back in 2018 after initially paying a local caddie $5,000 following his $1.3million triumph at the Mexican Open.

Pepperell added: “I think sometimes – and obviously not for the first time in Matt Kuchar’s career – the mask slips a bit and the persona is lifted and I think maybe you get a bit of an insight into one’s true character.

“It’s an odd thing to have done, I think. The fact Max Greyserman has finished, that’s that. What is the difference for Matt Kuchar finishing 12th, 10th or 14th?

“Given the career he’s had it’s minimal. And the fact that it takes something away from Aaron Rai, Aaron Rai’s first victory. I don’t think is particularly classy but there we go.

“I think he will have his reasons as he described, and they’re somewhat fair and he’s within his rights to do what he did. But as I said privately, golfers are weird.”