Current:Home > reviewsMatt Kuchar bizarrely stops playing on 72nd hole of Wyndham Championship -TradeBridge
Matt Kuchar bizarrely stops playing on 72nd hole of Wyndham Championship
View
Date:2025-04-18 10:49:17
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! (24)
Related
- Highlights from Trump’s interview with Time magazine
- McCarthy juggles government shutdown and potential Biden impeachment inquiry as House returns
- UAW president calls GM’s contract counteroffer ‘insulting’: What’s in it
- MLB power rankings: Even the most mediocre clubs just can't quit NL wild card chase
- The company planning a successor to Concorde makes its first supersonic test
- Country singer-songwriter Charlie Robison dies in Texas at age 59 from cardiac arrest
- Disney and Charter Communications strike deal, ending blackout for Spectrum cable customers
- Writers Guild of America Slams Drew Barrymore for Talk Show Return Amid Strike
- Will the 'Yellowstone' finale be the last episode? What we know about Season 6, spinoffs
- 'Star Wars' Red Leader X-wing model heads a cargo bay's worth of props at auction
Ranking
- Macy's says employee who allegedly hid $150 million in expenses had no major 'impact'
- Train carrying Kim Jong Un enters Russia en route to meeting with Vladimir Putin
- Train carrying Kim Jong Un enters Russia en route to meeting with Vladimir Putin
- Morocco earthquake leaves at least 2,000 dead, damages historic landmarks and topples buildings
- Head of the Federal Aviation Administration to resign, allowing Trump to pick his successor
- New COVID vaccines get FDA approval
- AP PHOTOS: Humpback whales draw thousands of visitors to a small port on Colombia’s Pacific coast
- Drew Barrymore to restart her talk show amid strikes, drawing heated criticism
Recommendation
Intellectuals vs. The Internet
Ashton Kutcher faces backlash for clips discussing underage Hilary Duff, Olsen twins, Mila Kunis
Helton teams up with organization to eliminate $10 million in medical bills for Colorado residents
U.K. police catch terrorism suspect Daniel Khalife, who escaped from a London prison
Retirement planning: 3 crucial moves everyone should make before 2025
Watch brave farmer feed 10,000 hungry crocodiles fresh meat every day
Mark Meadows requests emergency stay in Georgia election interference case
New COVID vaccines get FDA approval