Current:Home > InvestMatt Kuchar bizarrely stops playing on 72nd hole of Wyndham Championship -Edge Finance Strategies
Matt Kuchar bizarrely stops playing on 72nd hole of Wyndham Championship
View
Date:2025-04-16 19:22:45
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! (98)
Related
- Trump invites nearly all federal workers to quit now, get paid through September
- Jay-Z, Blue Ivy and Rumi Carter Run This Town in Rare Public Appearance at Super Bowl 2024
- $50K award offered for information about deaths of 3 endangered gray wolves in Oregon
- Usher says he manifested Super Bowl performance by staying in Las Vegas when he heard the game was coming: I'm not leaving
- Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
- Lizzo Debuts Good as Hell New Hairstyle at Super Bowl 2024
- Wu-Tang Clan opens Las Vegas residency with vigor to spread 'hip-hop culture worldwide'
- 'True Detective: Night Country' Episode 5 unloads a stunning death. What happened and why?
- 'Squid Game' without subtitles? Duolingo, Netflix encourage fans to learn Korean
- Review: Usher shines at star-studded 2024 Super Bowl halftime show
Ranking
- Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
- King Charles III expresses 'heartfelt thanks' for support after cancer diagnosis
- For Las Vegas, a city accustomed to glitz, Super Bowl brings new kind of star power
- What Danny DeVito Really Thinks of That Iconic Mean Girls Line
- NFL Week 15 picks straight up and against spread: Bills, Lions put No. 1 seed hopes on line
- Kim Kardashian and Odell Beckham Jr. Spotted Together in Las Vegas Before Super Bowl
- Alix Earle and Braxton Berrios Share Rare Insight into Their Relationship During Super Bowl Party Date
- What Danny DeVito Really Thinks of That Iconic Mean Girls Line
Recommendation
Pressure on a veteran and senator shows what’s next for those who oppose Trump
Jay-Z, Blue Ivy and Rumi Carter Run This Town in Rare Public Appearance at Super Bowl 2024
'Game manager'? Tired label means Super Bowl double standard for Brock Purdy, Patrick Mahomes
Nicaragua’s crackdown on Catholic Church spreads fear among the faithful, there and in exile
Stamford Road collision sends motorcyclist flying; driver arrested
Jimmy Van Eaton, an early rock ‘n’ roll drummer who played at Sun Records, dies at 86
The story behind Carl Weathers' posthumous Super Bowl ad
How long has Taylor Swift been dating Travis Kelce? The timeline of the whirlwind romance