How could Matt Kuchar refuse to finish his round?
The American opted to return on Monday to finish his final hole of the Wyndham Championship. Here’s how he did it under the Rules of Golf
Aaron Rai had been presented with the trophy. The PGA Tour carnival was already looking ahead to TPC Southwind and the first event of the playoffs.
But Matt Kuchar wasn’t done with the Wyndham Championship. As the light faded late on Sunday, the American decided not to play his approach into the 72nd hole at Sedgefield Country Club.
That meant he had to return on Monday to complete his round – even though his playing partners Max Greyserman and Chad Ramey both carried on and putted out.
Kuchar was in the left rough, 212-yards away from the green, when he marked his ball and made a decision which initially appeared to confuse observers
He was tied 12th, unable to advance into the FedEx Cup playoffs, but was playing for significant prize money – with a bogey potentially costing him some $58,000.
Kuchar later said he was setting an example for Greyersman, whose title chances had earlier unravelled with a quadruple bogey at the 14th and a double on the 16th.
“We were so far past when we should’ve stopped playing,” he told Todd Lewis from Golf Channel. “We saw what Max did on hole 16; they should’ve blown the hole there. I feel bad, the poor kid should’ve won this tournament. By me not playing, it may show Max he has an important shot to hit.”
He returned on Monday and made par for a 71 and an 11 under finish.
But what allowed the nine-time PGA Tour winner to call it quits and come back the next day? Let’s delve into the Rules of Golf…
Why was Matt Kuchar allowed to stop playing?
No one heard a horn go off to suspend play for darkness but, after the trio had struck their tee shots on the 18th hole, footage shows Kuchar talking with PGA Tour chief referee Ken Tackett as he walked down the fairway.
“Horn’s been theoretically blown?” he asked, to which Tackett replied: “Correct”.
The most bizarre 18th hole of Matt Kuchar's career? 😵 pic.twitter.com/S19gmkQRgd
— Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) August 12, 2024
At that point, play was suspended under Rule 5.7a. Because it’s darkness, it’s classed as a “normal” rather than an immediate suspension. In that case, if any player in the group has started a hole, Rule 5.7b (2) says they may “choose either to stop play or to play out the hole”.
The threesome clearly had differing views on whether to carry on or not – as both Greyersman and Ramey elected to finish up – but the same rule covers this eventuality.
It says that players can stop or go on “no matter what the others in the group decide to do”, except a player can continue only if the “player’s marker stays to keep the player’s score”.
Did that mean whoever’s got Kuchar’s card needed to return with him as well? While there were undoubtedly people who did come back for those final shots to be negotiated, the other players weren’t among them.
A Tour official served as the marker for his score.
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Steve Carroll
A journalist for 25 years, Steve has been immersed in club golf for almost as long. A former club captain, he has passed the Level 3 Rules of Golf exam with distinction having attended the R&A's prestigious Tournament Administrators and Referees Seminar.
Steve has officiated at a host of high-profile tournaments, including Open Regional Qualifying, PGA Fourball Championship, English Men's Senior Amateur, and the North of England Amateur Championship. In 2023, he made his international debut as part of the team that refereed England vs Switzerland U16 girls.
A part of NCG's Top 100s panel, Steve has a particular love of links golf and is frantically trying to restore his single-figure handicap. He currently floats at around 11.
Steve plays at Close House, in Newcastle, and York GC, where he is a member of the club's matches and competitions committee and referees the annual 36-hole scratch York Rose Bowl.
Having studied history at Newcastle University, he became a journalist having passed his NTCJ exams at Darlington College of Technology.
What's in Steve's bag: TaylorMade Stealth 2 driver, 3-wood, and hybrids; TaylorMade Stealth 2 irons; TaylorMade Hi-Toe, Ping ChipR, Sik Putter.
