Current:Home > reviewsMatt Kuchar bizarrely stops playing on 72nd hole of Wyndham Championship -Keystone Capital Education
Matt Kuchar bizarrely stops playing on 72nd hole of Wyndham Championship
Ethermac Exchange View
Date:2025-04-10 01:34:00
Aaron Rai won his first PGA Tour title on Sunday, claiming a two-stroke win at the Wyndham Championship.
But the tournament didn't officially end as darkness fell on Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina.
That's because Matt Kuchar bizarrely stopped playing after hitting his tee shot on the 18th hole, opting to mark his ball in the pine straw 212 yards from the hole and walk the course with the other players in the last group as they completed their rounds.
"It has been a really bizarre sequence of events," said CBS Sports analyst Trevor Immelman as the network's broadcast came to a close.
Kuchar led the tournament after 36 holes, but was out of contention at 11-under when he stepped to the 18th tee to conclude a marathon, 36-hole day stemming from weather delays due to Tropical Storm Debby.
With the sun already set and visibility declining, tournament officials informed Kuchar, Chad Ramey and Max Greyserman that rather than blow the horn to suspend play, they would be allowed to finish the hole then or complete it the next day.
In an apparent attempt to finish quickly, Kuchar unknowingly hit into the group ahead of him, one that included Rai – who led Greyserman by one stroke at the time.
"Why did he tee off on 18 when the fairway wasn’t clear? To me that was the egregious error," Golf Channel’s Paige Mackenzie later said. "It was completely disrespectful."
After Kuchar's ball landed left of the fairway, he informed officials he would finish his round Monday morning – even though he had no chance of advancing to the PGA Tour's playoffs. As things turned out, Rai birdied the final hole to push his lead to two strokes and Greyserman closed with a par to finish second.
As the sun rose again on Monday, Kuchar was the only player back out on the course to make the results official.
He hit his second shot on the green and parred the hole to finish in a tie for 12th, earning him $134,695.
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
veryGood! (4785)
Related
- McConnell absent from Senate on Thursday as he recovers from fall in Capitol
- Why villagers haven't left a mudslide prone mountain — and how a novel plan might help
- Why David Cameron is a surprising choice as new UK foreign policy chief after fateful Brexit vote
- Sen. Tim Scott announces he's dropping out of 2024 presidential race
- The city of Chicago is ordered to pay nearly $80M for a police chase that killed a 10
- Mother of Florida dentist convicted in murder-for-hire killing is arrested at Miami airport
- Jewish protesters and allies block Israeli consulate in Chicago, demanding a cease-fire in Gaza
- A former Fox News reporter who is refusing to divulge her sources could be held in contempt of court
- US appeals court rejects Nasdaq’s diversity rules for company boards
- Man, 40, is fatally shot during exchange of gunfire with police in southwestern Michigan
Ranking
- Working Well: When holidays present rude customers, taking breaks and the high road preserve peace
- Native American tribes fight US over a proposed $10B renewable energy transmission line
- Man accused of spraying officers with chemical irritant in Capitol riot makes 1st court appearance
- Fantasy football winners, losers: WR Noah Brown breaking out in Houston
- Brianna LaPaglia Reveals The Meaning Behind Her "Chickenfry" Nickname
- Man, 40, is fatally shot during exchange of gunfire with police in southwestern Michigan
- Donald Trump Jr. returns to witness stand as New York fraud trial enters new phase
- Patrick Mahomes confirms he has worn the same pair of underwear to every single game of his NFL career
Recommendation
Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
More than 20 toddlers sickened by lead linked to tainted applesauce pouches, CDC says
Why do nurses suffer from burnout? Forced overtime, understaffing and workplace violence.
3 crucial questions to ask yourself before taking Social Security in 2024
Woman dies after Singapore family of 3 gets into accident in Taiwan
Starting holiday shopping early? Use Amazon's Buy with Prime to score benefits.
Russian UN envoys shoot back at Western criticism of its Ukraine war and crackdown on dissidents
Jon Batiste to embark on The Uneasy Tour in 2024, first North American headlining tour