The FedEx St. Jude Championship is just around the corner, but the first event in the PGA Tour Playoffs will be missing a golfer who has been part of the same for the past (and the first) 17 iterations of the playoffs. Yes, we’re talking about Matt Kuchar, the PGA Tour Pro who, interestingly, walked off the final hole at Sedgefield Country Club after his tee shot.

What was that about? That’s what the entire golfing community seems to be curious about. Meanwhile, a video of the incident was shared on X by NUCLR GOLF, mentioning how Kuchar “pulled the plug on 18,” while noting that he would not be making the FedEx playoffs with a T103 finish. That’s not all—the golfer will apparently be back on Monday to finish his final hole.

According to Kyle Porter of CBS Sports, the 46-year-old Kuchar stopped playing the hole after his tee shot due to the fact that there were golfers in the fairway on the par-4 18th, whom he couldn’t see. Unfortunately, nobody had alerted him before he teed his ball, leading him to refuse to hit another shot. And the community? Well, the golfer’s actions certainly threw the golf world into a frenzy.

Matt Kuchar’s par-4, 18th refusal sends the internet into a fervor

The first round of the Wyndham Championship experienced an excruciating delay, starting on Friday instead of Thursday due to a tropical storm. This caused significant delays, forcing the second round to start on Saturday and end on Sunday morning. The final two rounds took place on August 11, with no re-pairing after the third round. Combine that with Kuchar’s decision, and a fan couldn’t help but respond, “This is the most aggressive slow-play protest,” while another commented, “Still don’t love the decision, but it makes more sense than what seemed like ‘hurry and hit into the group in front of you so you can finish and then quit anyway.'” Finishing the final hole wouldn’t have helped Kuchar make it into the FedEx St. Jude Championship, leaving him ineligible regardless.

Matt Kuchar is widely known for his win at the 2018 Mayakoba Golf Classic. But his popularity stemmed not from his scintillating gameplay, but from his refusal to pay his caddie for the event, David Giral “El Tucan’’ Ortiz, a fair share of his earnings. The looper was employed just for that event by the PGA Tour Pro but was awarded only a minuscule share of his $1.3 million winnings—a mere $5,000 instead of the 10% ($130,000) he was due. A couple of fans couldn’t resist alluding to that incident while commenting on the athlete’s attitude, “The good news is his caddie is only contracted through Sunday afternoon so Kuchar doesn’t have to pick up the hotel tab,” and “Same guy that stiffed a local caddy after winning a tournament.. guy never learns.”

The 46-year-old pro will be required to return on Monday to finish his final hole of the 2024 Wyndham Championship. In doing so, course workers and event personnel will inevitably need to work an extra day. As a result, one follower commented, “Still no reason to inconvenience the course personnel and volunteers.” 

However, another person took a straight-up jab at Matt Kuchar, responding with, “What a tool bag” under the tweet. Do you agree with the fan? What would you have done if you were in the PGA Tour Pro’s shoes?