Matt Kuchar makes bizarre decision to stop PGA Tour finish

There will be a Monday finish on the PGA Tour this week – but only for Matt Kuchar. 

In a perplexing series of events at the Wyndham Championship on Sunday, Kuchar decided to not to play his second shot on his 72nd hole at Sedgefield Country Club.

The nine-time PGA Tour winner instead has to come back on Monday morning after deciding darkness would curtail his round, despite the fact his playing partners Max Greyeserman and Chad Ramey both finished their final hole.

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Kuchar’s controversial decision upends the finish of the tournament in North Carolina, which was won by Englishman Aaron Rai.

As Rai was signing his winning scorecard, Kuchar was marking his ball in the left rough, with a 212-yard approach left into the green. There had been no horn blown for the final group to stop play, but broadcasters CBS were informed by a rules official that the group were told it was their choice whether they finished.

Kuchar’s decision was all the more surprising given he had rushed to the 18th tee box to drive off, seemingly in a hurry to complete his round. That was despite the group in front – Rai, Billy Horschel and Cameron Young – still being ahead on the fairway, which Kuchar was not aware of.

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The American veteran claimed his decision to walk in was setting an example to younger playing partner Greyserman, who had earlier blown the tournament from a winning position with a quadruple-bogey on the 14th and a double on 16.

“I was trying to set an example for Max,” Kuchar told the Golf Channel’s Todd Lewis.

“We were so far past when we should’ve stopped playing. We saw what Max did on hole 16; they should’ve blown the hole there. I feel bad, the poor kid should’ve won this tournament. By me not playing, it may show Max he has an important shot to hit.”

Kuchar was down to T12 on the leaderboard at the Wyndham Championship and out of the race to advance to next week’s FedEx Cup playoffs when he made the call.

A bogey on the 72nd hole on Monday would cost Kuchar around $58,000 in prize money.

Ben Parsons joined bunkered as a Content Producer in 2023 and is the man to come to for all of the latest news, across both the professional and amateur games. Formerly of The Mirror and Press Association, he is a member at Halifax Golf Club and is a long-suffering fan of both Manchester United and the Wales rugby team.