Matt Kuchar ends the year with emotional PNC victory with son

Matt Kuchar couldn’t imagine a better ending to a year when he lost his father than to finally win the PNC Championship with his son. There was no stopping them Sunday in a record-smashing performance that led to an 18-under 54 and a whopping seven-shot victory. The tournament that is all about family and fun ended with Kuchar wiping away tears as his voice cracked while speaking about how much it meant without his father, who died in February.

The finish was simply surreal to him. Cameron Kuchar, who was able to use one tee box forward as a high school student, hammered another drive and watched his father hit 7-iron to 18 inches. Kuchar gave his son the honor of tapping in for the final touch on an unforgettable week for the Kuchar family.

“I don’t know if you believe in karma, if you believe in fate, whatever you believe in, there’s something magical that does exist,” Kuchar said as tears began to form. “I’m a believer in God that Dad is up above looking down, and what happened on 18, I could hardly stand up and hit a shot. For me to hit it to a foot, makes me think there’s something more out there. Just miss Pops.”

Peter Kuchar, who at one time was the top-ranked doubles tennis player in Florida, first became a presence on the golf scene when he caddied for his son when Kuchar won the US Amateur in 1997, and when he was low amateur at the Masters and U.S. Open the following year. He played with Kuchar at the PNC Championship before yielding the stage to Kuchar’s sons. Peter Kuchar died in February of a heart attack while swimming when he was on a Caribbean cruise with his wife, Meg, to celebrate her birthday.

Kuchar and his son each got the Willie Park Trophy, a red belt that Kuchar jokingly said would wear well with his tartan jacket he won from Harbour Town at the RBC Heritage. The PNC Championship, which began in 1995 as the Father-Son Challenge, is for major champions and their children. It has been expanded over the years to include The Players Championship winners, senior and LPGA major champions. Players have brought parents or daughters.

Kuchar, who won The Players Championship in 2012, said he keeps photos to go with the trophies from most of his nine PGA Tour victories. In early victories he could hold both sons. And then they were too big too hold. The most recent photo taken Sunday afternoon leaves him heartbroken. “And now to have this shot with the family, it’s clearly missing ... Missing one,” he said, pausing because his voice was so choked with emotion. “But it’s special, very special.” So was their golf, and it was a runaway from the start.

Cameron Kuchar, who has signed to play for TCU next year, birdied the first hole and his father hit hybrid to 12 feet for eagle on the third. They made only two pars in the scramble format and countered that with two eagles. They finished at 33-under 111 to break the tournament record by five shots. Lee Trevino delivered the highlight when the 86-year-old holed out from the fairway with a lob wedge for eagle on the 13th hole.

John Daly and John Daly II, a senior at Arkansas and the Southern Amateur champion, made eagle on the last hole for a 59 to tie for second with Davis Love III and Dru Love (58). Nelly Korda and her father, and Steve Stricker and his daughter, finished another shot behind. All of them looked at scoreboards coming in and saw there was no chance of catching the Kuchars, certainly not on this day.

“If they end up getting to 30 (under), you’re talking about only six holes missed in 36 holes. That’s remarkable,” Duval said. Turns out the Kuchar duo was even better - 36 holes, 33 under. Fate or otherwise, it was some remarkable golf. Twice before, they held the lead going into the final day and didn’t hold it. On Sunday they started with a two-shot lead and ran away with it.