Matt Kuchar was widely derided on social media following his decision to mark his ball and return on Monday morning to conclude the PGA Tour’s Wyndham Championship last weekend, though Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan came out in defence of the man who’s earned over $64 million in on-course career earnings worldwide.
But Eddie Pepperell, one of the more outspoken professionals, certainly couldn’t envision himself taking a page from Kuchar’s book and being the only player not to finish out when tournament officials and volunteers had worked tirelessly to get the golf course in playable fashion after Tropical Storm Debbie wreaked havoc and dumped biblical amounts of rain on Thursday.
“I could not imagine, and I’m not saying there is a right or wrong way to be in life, you know, but I just could not imagine myself doing that,” the Englishman said on The Chipping Forecast podcast where he regularly appears alongside Andrew Cotter and Iain Carter.
“I would want to get off [the course] as quick as anyone. He wasn’t having a great day – he’s having a bad day, he’s hit a bad tee shot.
“I would want to get out of there and I think most golfers would want to get out of there.”
Kuchar’s explanation was that he was trying to set an example for playing partner Max Greyserman who he thought needed to birdie the 72nd hole to get into a playoff, being unaware that Aaron Rai had birdied up ahead and a hole-out eagle was required.
But Pepperell isn’t buying that explanation as Greyserman and Chad Raymey both played on and Kuchar could easily have reversed his decision and played on.
“I think sometimes – and obviously not for the first time in Matt Kuchar’s career – the mask slips a bit and the persona is lifted and I think maybe you get a bit of an insight into one’s true character,” Pepperell said.
“It’s an odd thing to have done, I think. The fact Max Greyserman has finished, that’s that. What is the difference for Matt Kuchar finishing 12th, 10th or 14th?
“Given the career he’s had it’s minimal. And the fact that it takes something away from Aaron Rai, Aaron Rai’s first victory.
“I don’t think is particularly classy but there we go. I think he will have his reasons as he described, and they’re somewhat fair and he’s within his rights to do what he did. But as I said privately, golfers are weird.”