Matt Kuchar, after a year marked by the loss of his father, found an impossible moment of triumph when he and his son Cameron captured the PNC Championship. The duo finished 18-under 54, a seven-shot margin that shattered the tournament record by five strokes. Their performance, a blend of precision and emotion, unfolded over a scramble format that saw only two pars and two eagles. In the end, the victory felt like a gift from above.
A Family Victory
When the final putt was holed, Kuchar’s voice cracked and tears began to form. “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. He added, “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, once the top-ranked doubles tennis player in Florida, first stepped into the golf world by caddying for Matt when the latter won the U.S. Amateur in 1997. He later played as a low amateur at the Masters and U.S. Open in 1998. Peter’s life was cut short in February when a heart attack claimed him while swimming aboard a Caribbean cruise with his wife Meg, celebrating her birthday.
Both Matt and Cameron were presented with the Willie Park Trophy, a red belt that Kuchar joked would look great with the tartan jacket he earned from Harbour Town at the RBC Heritage. The belt’s symbolism matched the family’s shared history on the green.
For Kuchar, the win was more than a title; it was a closure to a painful chapter. He said, “And now to have this shot with the family, it’s clearly missing … missing one,” pausing as his voice was choked with emotion. “But it’s special, very special.”
Record-Breaking Performance
The 54-hole tournament saw the Kuchar duo finish at 33-under 111, eclipsing the previous record by five strokes. Their record-smashing 18-under 54 on Sunday was achieved in a scramble format that produced only two pars and two eagles, yet still left them far ahead.
Lee Trevino, 86, added a highlight by holing out from the fairway with a lob wedge for an eagle on the 13th. John Daly and his son, John Daly II, a senior at Arkansas and Southern Amateur champion, made an eagle on the final hole to finish with a 59, tying for second with Davis Love III and Dru Love, who posted a 58. Nelly Korda and her father, as well as Steve Stricker and his daughter, trailed by a single stroke.
All competitors watched the scoreboard and saw there was no chance of catching the Kuchars that day. The father-son pair’s dominance was clear: 36 holes, 33 under. They had held the lead going into the final day twice before but had not maintained it; on Sunday they started with a two-shot advantage and never relinquished it.
Duval remarked on the performance, saying, “If they end up getting to 30 (under), you’re talking about only six holes missed in 36 holes. That’s remarkable.”
Legacy and Context
The PNC Championship, inaugurated in 1995 as the Father-Son Challenge, invites major champions and their children to compete. Over time it has broadened to include winners of The Players Championship, senior and LPGA major champions, and even parents or daughters from other disciplines.
Kuchar, a 2012 winner of The Players Championship, kept photos beside the trophies from most of his nine PGA Tour victories. In the early years he could hold both sons in the same frame, but as they grew older the picture grew too large. The most recent photo taken Sunday afternoon left him heartbroken, reflecting the bittersweet nature of the win.
He noted that the victory felt like a gift from above, a moment he could not have imagined better after the loss of his father in February. The win, along with the red belt trophy, symbolized a family legacy that would carry forward into the next generation, with Cameron slated to play for TCU next year.
Key Takeaways
- Matt Kuchar and son Cameron won the PNC Championship with a record-smashing 18-under 54, seven shots ahead.
- The victory came amid the emotional backdrop of Kuchar’s father’s death earlier that year.
- The tournament’s history as a family-centric event expanded over decades, now featuring major champions, seniors, and LPGA winners.
Matt Kuchar’s triumph at the PNC Championship not only cemented his place among the sport’s elite but also honored the memory of a father and the promise of a son’s future. The record-breaking win will be remembered as a testament to family, resilience, and the enduring spirit of golf.
