Current:Home > InvestMatt Kuchar bizarrely stops playing on 72nd hole of Wyndham Championship -WealthPro Academy
Matt Kuchar bizarrely stops playing on 72nd hole of Wyndham Championship
View
Date:2025-04-17 18:02:27
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! (4)
Related
- Angelina Jolie nearly fainted making Maria Callas movie: 'My body wasn’t strong enough'
- The Little-Known Story of How World War II Led to the Inception of New York Fashion Week
- CIA terminates whistleblower who prompted flood of sexual misconduct complaints
- Lawmaker looks to make Nebraska the latest state to enact controversial ‘stand your ground’ law
- South Korean president's party divided over defiant martial law speech
- Kobe Bryant statue to be unveiled before Los Angeles Lakers' game vs. Denver Nuggets
- Food Network star Duff Goldman says hand injury is 'pretty bad' after car crash
- Gov. Shapiro seeks school-funding boost to help poorer districts, but Republicans remain wary
- Arkansas State Police probe death of woman found after officer
- Polyamory has hit reality TV with 'Couple to Throuple.' Expect to challenge your misconceptions.
Ranking
- House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
- FCC declares AI-generated voices in robocalls are illegal
- Defense requests a mistrial in Jam Master Jay murder case; judge says no but blasts prosecutors
- California's big cities are usually dry. Floods make a homelessness crisis even worse.
- Grammy nominee Teddy Swims on love, growth and embracing change
- Christian Bale breaks ground on foster homes he's fought for 16 years to see built
- We know about Kristin Juszczyk's clothing line. Why don't we know about Kiya Tomlin's?
- Tablescaping Essentials to Elevate Your Next Dinner Party Aesthetic
Recommendation
Tree trimmer dead after getting caught in wood chipper at Florida town hall
Kristin Juszczyk Reveals How Taylor Swift Ended Up Wearing Her Custom Chiefs Coat
A criminal actor is to blame for a dayslong cyberattack on a Chicago hospital, officials say
Super Bowl is a reminder of how family heritage, nepotism still rule the NFL
Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
Steve Scalise returning to Washington as another Mayorkas impeachment vote expected
SEC reported nearly $853 million in revenue in 2023 fiscal year, new tax records show
US has enough funds for now to continue training Ukrainian pilots on F-16, National Guard chief says