ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Matt Kuchar couldn’t have imagined a better ending to a year in which he lost his father than to finally win the PNC Championship with his son. There was no stopping them on Sunday with a record-breaking performance, as they shot an 18-under 54 for a whopping seven-shot victory.
A tournament all about family and fun ended with Kuchar, his voice cracking and wiping away tears, talking about how much his father, who died in February, meant to him without him.
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Cameron Kuchar, who was able to hit one tee box in front as a high school student, hit another drive and watched as his father hit a 7-iron to 18 inches. Ms. Kuchar gave her son the honor of participating in the finishing touches to an unforgettable week for the Kuchar family.
Peter Kuchar died of a heart attack while swimming in February while on a Caribbean cruise to celebrate his wife Meg’s birthday.
Started in 1995 as the Father-Son Challenge, the PNC Championship is open to major champions and their children. Over the years, it has expanded to include The Players Championship Winners, Seniors and LPGA Major Champions. Players brought their parents and daughters.
Kuchars finished with 33-under 111, breaking the tournament record by five strokes. Lee Trevino had a highlight as the 86-year-old holed out of the fairway on the 13th hole with a lob wedge for eagle.
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European Tour and Sunshine Tour
BEL HOMBRE, Mauritius (AP) – Jaden Shaper won the Mauritius Open in a playoff against Ryan Gerrard, making it back-to-back titles for the American who jumped two oceans and returned home with a Masters invitation in his final tournament of the year.
Schaper birdied three of the final four holes for an 8-under 64 and chipped in for an eagle on the second playoff hole to win. He won the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa last week with an eagle in a playoff.
Gerrard, ranked 57th in the world (an invitation to the Masters Award to the top 50 in this year’s final world rankings), needed to finish in the top four to have a chance at the Masters, but he finished the weekend with a 63-66 record, qualifying for a play-off with Shaper and securing a spot at Augusta National in April.
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AP Golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
