Current:Home > NewsMatt Kuchar bizarrely stops playing on 72nd hole of Wyndham Championship -AdvancementTrade
Matt Kuchar bizarrely stops playing on 72nd hole of Wyndham Championship
Johnathan Walker View
Date:2025-04-07 20:26:53
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
- Intellectuals vs. The Internet
- Former pro surfer known for riding huge Pipeline waves dies in shark attack while surfing off Oahu
- Tornado confirmed in Dublin, New Hampshire, as storms swept across New England on Sunday
- Sen. Bob Menendez's Egypt trip planning got weird, staffer recalls at bribery trial
- Charges tied to China weigh on GM in Q4, but profit and revenue top expectations
- Are we ready to face an asteroid that could hit Earth in 14 years? NASA sees work to do.
- Shannen Doherty Shares Update on Chemotherapy Treatment Amid Cancer Battle
- Consumer confidence in U.S. falls in June as Americans fret about near-term prospects
- Rams vs. 49ers highlights: LA wins rainy defensive struggle in key divisional game
- Nurse was treating gunshot victim when she was killed in Arkansas mass shooting
Ranking
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- Iran overturns the death sentence of rapper Toomaj Salehi, charged in connection to 2022 protests
- Russian region of Dagestan holds a day of mourning after attacks kill 20 people, officials say
- On the anniversary of the fall of Roe, Democrats lay the blame for worsening health care on Trump
- Man can't find second winning lottery ticket, sues over $394 million jackpot, lawsuit says
- Amazon Prime Day 2024: Everything We Know and Early Deals You Can Shop Now
- Traffic fatalities declined about 3% in 1st quarter, according to NHTSA
- Team combs fire-ravaged New Mexico community for remains of the missing
Recommendation
Biden administration makes final diplomatic push for stability across a turbulent Mideast
Biden’s 2 steps on immigration could reframe how US voters see a major political problem for him
More Americans are ending up in Russian jails. Prospects for their release are unclear
This week’s televised debate is crucial for Biden and Trump — and for CNN as well
Nevada attorney general revives 2020 fake electors case
Meryl Streep's Daughter Louisa Jacobson Gummer Shares She's Queer
Banker in viral video who allegedly punched woman at Brooklyn Pride quits job at Moelis & Co.
College World Series live updates: TV info, odds for Tennessee and Texas A&M title game