2019 PGA Tour Season in Review: Handing Out Superlatives

Best Drama: Matt Kuchar and ‘El Tucan’

Bryson DeChambeau confronting Brooks Koepka was a close runner-up, but the top drama of the 2019 PGA Tour season has to be Matt Kuchar infamously stiffing David Ortiz, known affectionately as ‘El Tucan’.

This happened all the way back in November 2018 so let’s recap: Kuchar won the Mayakoba Classic by 1 over Danny Lee using a local caddie instead of his usual looper, John Wood. When a Tour player wins, they generally give 10% to their caddie, though it is often less if a local jump on the bag. This is because they do not travel with the player and make the weekly sacrifices of a dedicated caddie.

So, Kuchar comes to an agreement with ‘El Tucan’, the man carrying Matt’s bag at Mayakoba, before the tournament begins. After the victory (and with the Georgia Tech product naming Ortiz his “lucky charm”), the local caddie expects a bonus. Kuchar says no, arguing “For a guy who makes $200 a day, a $5,000 week is a really big week”. Many people, including myself, see this as a questionable comment with clear racial overtones.

The story goes viral as, in a classic PR 101 mistake, Kuchar doubles down in an interview and in his press conferences and comes across as a cheap jerk. He only agrees to pay ‘El Tucan’ $50,000 after some lengthy public backlash.

This drama had all we could hope for; a multi-millionaire being stingy with his money, a minority caddie (correctly) asking for a proper share of prize money, a botched interview, and a forced, awkward apology. Kuchar is still a wild successful golfer but his reputation is forever stained and one must question why he chose to defiantly stiff this caddie instead of doing the right thing.

There you have it. The Superlatives from a fantastic and memorable 2018-19 PGA Tour Season.