Current:Home > FinanceMatt Kuchar bizarrely stops playing on 72nd hole of Wyndham Championship -Excel Wealth Summit
Matt Kuchar bizarrely stops playing on 72nd hole of Wyndham Championship
View
Date:2025-04-19 00:14:47
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! (5)
Related
- Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time
- Wheeler in Wisconsin: Putting a Green Veneer on the Actions of Trump’s EPA
- Tropical Storm Bret strengthens slightly, but no longer forecast as a hurricane
- Court Rejects Pipeline Rubber-Stamp, Orders Climate Impact Review
- Angelina Jolie nearly fainted making Maria Callas movie: 'My body wasn’t strong enough'
- Why Nick Jonas’ Performance With Kelsea Ballerini Caused Him to Go to Therapy
- Timeline: The Justice Department's prosecution of the Trump documents case
- TikToker Alix Earle Shares Update After Getting Stranded in Italy
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- Lupita Nyong’o Addresses Rumors of Past Romance With Janelle Monáe
Ranking
- Appeals court scraps Nasdaq boardroom diversity rules in latest DEI setback
- Angela Paxton, state senator and wife of impeached Texas AG Ken Paxton, says she will attend his trial
- Dr. Dre to receive inaugural Hip-Hop Icon Award from music licensing group ASCAP
- The End of New Jersey’s Solar Gold Rush?
- Trump invites nearly all federal workers to quit now, get paid through September
- Climate Change Is Shifting Europe’s Flood Patterns, and These Regions Are Feeling the Consequences
- What Does ’12 Years to Act on Climate Change’ (Now 11 Years) Really Mean?
- See Below Deck Sailing Yacht's Gary Tell Daisy About His Hookup With Mads in Awkward AF Preview
Recommendation
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Hi Hi!
Biden promised a watchdog for opioid settlement billions, but feds are quiet so far
Knoxville has only one Black-owned radio station. The FCC is threatening its license.
Biden says his own age doesn't register with him as he seeks second term
Working Well: When holidays present rude customers, taking breaks and the high road preserve peace
Mike Ivie, former MLB No. 1 overall draft pick, dies at 70
Lupita Nyong’o Addresses Rumors of Past Romance With Janelle Monáe
Toddlers and Tiaras' Eden Wood Is All Grown Up Graduating High School As Valedictorian