Current:Home > ContactMatt Kuchar bizarrely stops playing on 72nd hole of Wyndham Championship -WealthMindset Learning
Matt Kuchar bizarrely stops playing on 72nd hole of Wyndham Championship
View
Date:2025-04-17 23:47:40
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! (7431)
Related
- Selena Gomez's "Weird Uncles" Steve Martin and Martin Short React to Her Engagement
- UK national, South African and local guide killed in an attack near a Ugandan national park
- Ukraine uses U.S.-supplied long-range ATACMS missiles for first time in counteroffensive against Russia
- Calling it quits: Why some Lahaina businesses won't reopen after the wildfires
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- RHOC's Shannon Beador Speaks Out One Month After Arrest for DUI, Hit-and-Run
- Miami Seaquarium’s Lolita the orca died from old age and multiple chronic illnesses, necropsy finds
- 37 years after Florida nurse brutally murdered in her home, DNA analysis helps police identify killer
- Retirement planning: 3 crucial moves everyone should make before 2025
- New Orleans district attorney and his mother were carjacked, his office says
Ranking
- South Korea's acting president moves to reassure allies, calm markets after Yoon impeachment
- Hilariously short free kick among USMNT's four first-half goals vs. Ghana
- Alec Baldwin has 'criminal culpability' in deadly 'Rust' shooting, prosecutors say
- Former Brooklyn resident sentenced to life in prison for aiding Islamic State group as sniper
- Will the 'Yellowstone' finale be the last episode? What we know about Season 6, spinoffs
- Will Smith Shares Official Statement After Jada Pinkett Smith's Revelations—But It's Not What You Think
- Pentagon releases footage of hundreds of ‘highly concerning’ aircraft intercepts by Chinese planes
- Will Smith Shares Official Statement After Jada Pinkett Smith's Revelations—But It's Not What You Think
Recommendation
NHL in ASL returns, delivering American Sign Language analysis for Deaf community at Winter Classic
Musk's X to charge users in Philippines and New Zealand $1 to use platform
Koolaburra by UGG Sale: Keep Your Toes Toasty With Up to 55% Off on Boots, Slippers & More
Deer struggling in cold Alaskan waters saved by wildlife troopers who give them a lift in their boat
Pressure on a veteran and senator shows what’s next for those who oppose Trump
'Nightmare': Family of Hamas hostage reacts to video of her pleading for help
Mississippi county closes jail pod plagued by fights and escapes, sends 200 inmates 2 hours away
Disney attorneys want to question former administrator in lawsuit with DeSantis appointees