Kuchar makes amends in caddie controversy
Veteran golfer agrees to pay ‘full total’ to local looper who requested $50,000
The Genesis Open tried to make up for lost time and Matt Kuchar tried to make up with golf fans on a busy day at Riviera Country Club on Friday.
The half of the field that managed to get some golf in Thursday after the seven-hour rain delay was back on the course at 7 a.m. Friday to complete the first round. That early group included Canada’s Adam Hadwin, who began play on the 12th hole and recorded two birdies on his final seven holes to finish his first round at an impressive 3-under par. This half of the field was given the rest of Friday off and will begin its second round on Saturday.
“I’m happy. Went out this morning, hit some good quality shots, made a couple putts and I’m under par here at Riviera,” said Hadwin, of Abbotsford, B.C. “Always a good thing.”
The other half of the field — which included the Tiger Woods-Justin Thomas-Rory McIlroy supergroup — was completely rained out on Thursday and was tasked with trying to get as much of rounds one and two in Friday as possible. This made for a quick turnaround. Players were notified leaving the scoring area following round one that they were due back on the first tee in as little as 30 minutes, which sent some caddies scrambling to prepare.
Sergio Garcia’s caddie handed his putter to a member of the Spaniard’s team.
“Where’s his other putter?” he asked.
“In his locker,” the answer came.
If a switch was made, it seemed to work as Garcia would birdie two of his first three holes to start his second round after shooting a 4-over 74 in round one.
But no player made a bigger halftime adjustment than Kuchar. The 40-year-old American had become the early story of the star-studded tournament for his decision to double down Tuesday on his decision to snub a local caddie with a $5,000 payment after picking up a US$1.3-million winner’s cheque at the Mayakoba Golf Classic last November.
His insistence that he and caddie David (El Tucan) Ortiz had a deal in place, and that he won’t lose sleep over it, didn’t go over well. Neither did his comment that “$5,000 is a great week,” coming from a man who has made $46 million on the golf course.
There were some jeers on the first tee Friday morning for Kuchar, although he did receive his familiar “Kuuuuuuuch!” cheer after birdieing the 18th hole to finish his first round at 3-under.
With less than an hour between rounds one and two, Kuchar walked from the 18th hole toward the scoring area while examining a tablet held by his wife Sybi.
Minutes later, Kuchar released the following statement:
“This week, I made comments that were out of touch and insensitive, making a bad situation worse. They made it seem like I was marginalizing David Ortiz and his financial situation, which was not my intention. I read them again and cringed. That is not who I am and not what I want to represent. My entire Tour career, I have tried to show respect and positivity. In this situation, I have not lived up to those values or to the expectations I’ve set for myself.
“I let myself, my family, my partners and those close to me down, but I also let David down. I plan to call David tonight, something that is long overdue, to apologize for the situation he has been put in, and I have made sure he has received the full total that he has requested.
“I never wanted to bring any negativity to the Mayakoba Golf Classic. I feel it is my duty to represent the tournament well, so I am making a donation back to the event, to be distributed to the many philanthropic causes working to positively impact the communities of Playa del Carmen and Cancun.
“For my fans, as well as fans of the game, I want to apologize to you for not representing the values instilled in this incredible sport. Golf is a game where we call penalties on ourselves. I should have done that long ago and not let this situation escalate.”
Kuchar, who had put himself in a nearly impossible situation, finally did the right thing and, leaning on the goodwill his “aw, shucks” image earned him over the past two decades, he could well get himself out of this better than expected.
The statement explains that Kuchar will pay Ortiz the “full total that he has requested,” which was $50,000.
The going rate paid to a tour caddie for a win is 10 per cent — or $130,000 in this case — but payments made to local caddies, who aren’t making the financial and personal sacrifice to follow a golfer around the world, are usually less.
I plan to call David tonight, something that is long overdue, to apologize for the situation he has been put in.