ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Matt Kuchar couldn’t imagine a better ending to a year where he lost his father than finally winning the PNC championship with his son. Nothing could stop them on Sunday in a record-breaking performance that led to an 18-under 54 and a huge seven-shot victory.
The family-focused, fun-focused tournament ended with Kuchar wiping away tears as her voice cracked speaking about how much it meant without her father, who died in February.
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Cameron Kuchar, who was able to use a tee shot forward as a high school student, hammered another drive and watched his father hit the 7-iron to 18 inches. Kuchar did his son the honor of putting the finishing touches on an unforgettable week for the Kuchar family.
Peter Kuchar died in February of a heart attack while swimming while on a Caribbean cruise with his wife, Meg, to celebrate his birthday.
The PNC Championship, which began in 1995 as the Father-Son Challenge, is for major champions and their children. It has expanded over the years to include Players Championship winners, seniors and LPGA major champions. The players brought their parents or their daughters.
The Kuchars finished at 33-under 111 to break the tournament record by five shots. Lee Trevino delivered the highlight when the 86-year-old came off the fairway with a lob wedge for eagle on the 13th hole.
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European Tour and Sunshine Tour
BEL OMBRE, Mauritius (AP) — Jayden Schaper made it back-to-back titles by winning the Mauritius Open in a playoff over Ryan Gerard, the American who crossed two oceans for the final event of the year and returns home with an invitation to the Masters.
Schaper birdied three of his final four holes for an 8-under 64, then contributed to Eagle’s victory on the second playoff hole. He won the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa last week by reaching the eagle in the playoffs.
Gerard was world No. 57 – the Masters Awards invites into the top 50 of the year’s final world rankings – and needed to finish in the top four to have a chance of advancing to the Masters. He had a 63-66 weekend and made the playoffs with Shaper, which secured his spot at Augusta National in April.
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AP Golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
