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Top Five Incendiary Storylines from the 2019 PGA Tour Season

By Benjamin Criswell

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - AUGUST 25: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland celebrates after winning on the 18th green during the final round of the TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Club on August 25, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - AUGUST 25: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland celebrates after winning on the 18th green during the final round of the TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Club on August 25, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images) /
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Matt Kuchar PGA TOUR
AUSTIN, TEXAS – MARCH 31: Matt Kuchar of the United States bumps fists with caddie John Wood on the 17th green in his match against Lucas Bjerregaard of Denmark during the semifinal round of the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play at Austin Country Club on March 31, 2019 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

3. Good Guy/Bad Guy Kuchar

For his entire career, Matt Kuchar has been perceived as one of the nicest players on tour. Always smiling, having a good time, while playing consistent golf. But in an otherwise resurgent 2019 PGA Tour campaign, Kuchar’s two victories came at the expense of his good-guy reputation.

The first damage to Kuchar’s reputation occurred at the Mayakoba Golf Classic, which Kuchar won. But it wasn’t Kuchar’s play that subjected him to criticism. It was how he tipped his caddie. The now mythical stand-in caddie “El Tucan” initially received just $5,000 for his role in helping Kuchar win more than $1 million. When news of this broke, Kuchar’s kerfuffle was syndicated seemingly across every news network on the entire planet.

He’s cheap! What a terrible person! Turning Kooooch into booooo, the reaction to Kuchar’s tip was like the proletariat overthrowing the bourgeoisie in pre-communist Russia. Kuchar did finally pony up another $50,000 for “El Tucan,” but not before the damage was done. Wait, 50 grand? All he did was carry a bag for four days! 

But if Kuchar thought the caddie controversy would be his only misstep of 2019 on the PGA Tour, he was sadly wrong. During the first round of the Memorial, Kuchar caused a lengthy delay on the 17th hole when his drive found a pitch-mark in the fairway. Kuchar argued that his ball had broken new ground which would make the pitch-mark his own and allow relief.

Those in the broadcast booth and online did not, however, see the beauty in Kuchar’s defense. He’s cheap and he’s a cheat?! Matt Kuchar is the worst!  Had Kuchar not already been the target of outrage, his argument at the Memorial might have been received differently because it is a good argument.

If a ball bounces into a previously existing pitch-mark, wouldn’t the force of the ball have to change the complexion of it? And if the ball changes the complexion of a pitch-mark, wouldn’t that make it my own, which would allow relief?  I’m going to move it anyway, but I would like not to be cheating.

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