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Golf analysts Brandel Chamblee and Paige Mackenzie were perplexed by Matt Kuchar's decision to play the final hole of the fourth round of the 2024 Wyndham Championship on Monday, August 12. The PGA Tour event, which had already experienced a delayed start due to inclement weather, was heading towards a successful conclusion on Sunday. However, the play was suspended due to darkness, and only three players were left to complete the game.
At that time, Kuchar, Max Greyserman, and Chad Ramey had teed off on the final hole but needed to complete the round. While Ramey and Greyserman decided to continue their game, Kuchar opted to finish on Monday, even after taking his first shot on the 18th.
Kuchar hurried to take a disrupted shot on the 18th, perhaps unaware that a group ahead of him, including Aaron Rai, was still playing. Fortunately, his ball sailed well to the left of the fairway on the 18th. However, he then opted to continue his game the next day.
Explaining his reason for not playing the 18th hole on Sunday, Kuchar said (via NBC Sports):
“I was trying to set an example for Max,” Kuchar told 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.”
However, golf analyst Brandel Chamblee was not satisfied with Kuchar's reasoning and said (via NBC Sports):
“Why did he tee off on 18? Because if he had hit a good drive, it would’ve got down there and possibly disrupt the flow of Aaron Rai and the group in front of them. … He could’ve stopped long before this if he wanted to stop.”
Paige Mackenzie also discussed Kuchar's decision to finish his game on Monday, stating (via Golf Week):
"Why did he tee off on 18 when the fairway wasn’t clear? To me that was the egregious error. It was completely disrespectful.”
Notably, even if Kuchar makes par on the 18th hole on Monday, he will not be able to win the tournament. Furthermore, he is unlikely to make it into the top 70 in the FedEx Cup standings. He is projected to be in 103rd place in the FedEx Cup standings, meaning he will miss the playoffs.
A look into Matt Kuchar's final round performance at the 2024 Wyndham Championship
After teeing off for the final round of the 2024 Wyndham Championship, Matt Kuchar made pars on the first four holes and then shot a birdie on the fifth. Despite a strong start, he unfortunately ended up with a double bogey on the seventh.
On the back nine, Kuchar started with a bogey on the 10th and followed that with another bogey on the 14th. He managed to card two birdies on the back nine, finishing with a 1-over and tied for 12th place. However, he has yet to complete his game on the final hole. If he makes par on the 18th, he can maintain his position on the leaderboard. However, if he shoots a bogey or higher score on the 18th, he will slip down the rankings.
