Matt and Cameron Kuchar reflect on a record-setting, emotional PNC Championship victory, blending dominant play, family memories, gratitude, and faith.
Q. You guys came in wanting these belts, and you got it, you get to take that with you back to TCU. Talk about today and this weekend overall, how much does this mean to you to do this together?
MATT KUCHAR: This is something we’ve been — had our sites on for many years, since Cameron got started, I played my first year with Dad, he has some great memories. The classic memories of Dad, and Cameron was caddying and we were just shy of the green in two, close to the water’s edge, and his chipping was never his strong suit and he completely whiffed the chip. I don’t think Cameron could see all the way down the hill. Dad is smiling from above.
Cameron also knew he had a runway in this event. Cameron and Carson have been great partners. Cam and I have had each chances each year Cam had played, and come close. Some of those were frustrating not to play better on Sunday but man, this Sunday, I don’t know that it could have gone any better.
Q. 28 years in this event, you set multiple scoring records, finishing 33-under, dominating the margin of victory, were you watching the scoreboards while you were out there or just having fun?
CAMERON KUCHAR: Just having fun, really. I kind of knew on — there’s a scoreboard on the par 5, 14. We had a four-shotter, just keep it going. Checked again on 17, and this might be a record. See what we do on 18.
But I think this could be a record. I snatch a drive and he hits a great 7-iron to about a foot and a half. Then we find out right after they set the record by five shots. It’s pretty amazing after going out 15-under, 13-under, last year.
MATT KUCHAR: I think I only putted about three times. His chance to do solo birdie, he was dominating again today. I was glad to come through and help out a couple times today.
Q. And two eagles today.
CAMERON KUCHAR: 3, he hit a great hybrid a little draw around the tree 12 feet passed and rolled in the putt, which that early in the round —
MATT KUCHAR: It was certainly nice getting off to birdie, birdie starts. The Dalys, they just missed birdie on 2. You never know how your day is going to progress but when you see a couple putts go in early, it helps. Birdieing 1 and 2, it helps, but to see the eagle go in on 3, wow, this could be signs of a really good day to come.
Q. Are you going to be wearing those belts for the holiday with the family?
CAMERON KUCHAR: For sure.
MATT KUCHAR: I have got a terrible coat from The Heritage tournament, from the Hilton Head tournament, that comes out over Christmas. It’s the perfect Christmas color.
So it comes out once a year over Christmas. I look forward to bringing it out. And I certainly love to matching it with this. This is something I’ll never forget. I think we all have so much to be grateful for. To be part of this event, just to be included in this event, we’re certainly grateful for, to do this — I don’t know if you believe in karma, if you believe in fate, whatever you believe in, there’s something — something magical that does exist. I’m a believer in God that Dad is up above looking down, and that — what happened on 18, I could hardly stand up and hit a shot. For me to hit it to a foot, makes me think there’s something more out there (tearing up). Just miss — miss Pops.
Q. What would Pops say?
MATT KUCHAR: Certainly be so proud. I think back, and I think people have told me that as time goes on, you stop thinking of things you miss and thinking about things you’re grateful for and the good times you had. I certainly think back to some big fist pumps we and I out inside the ropes together and outside the ropes together. There would have been certainly some big fist pumps and certainly a lot of pride.
Q. I know it’s scramble and the numbers get skewed, but how good of a round of golf was that for you today?
CAMERON KUCHAR: That was amazing. I wasn’t keeping as much track today as I was yesterday but I probably made five or six solo birdies. Every now and then, I would let him know, all right, I made that one myself. But he also made a few solos and he’d come right back and he’d go, “That was all me right there.”
It was just fun just going back-and-forth like that.
MATT KUCHAR: His putting was incredible. If I can give a shoutout to Bettinardi. We were up in Chicago over Thanksgiving. Went into the Bettinardi factory. The guys took us back to the hive which is cool for kids into one-off putters and they let us pick out putters. Cam picked out — makes me think out to “The Natural,” little bat boy and goes and picks out a winner. And Cameron picked out a winner out of this group.
I’ve never seen him putt so good in my life.
And if I can sidebar; Bettinardis are having some family issues, if there’s anybody that can send some prayers their way, could use some.
But the putter he picked out is just amazing and he made it work today. Again for me to putt only three times in a round of golf is pretty crazy.
Q. And then again, score notwithstanding, what would your best round have been out on the AJGA or wherever?
CAMERON SMITH: My best round in my life?
Q. Performance. Not necessarily score?
MATT KUCHAR: He’s lit up some people at Gaza Ranch in the summer. There have been some really low scores. I’m glad I wasn’t in those groups because he would have dusted me pretty good.
So far, I think he’s clipped me three of times but I think there are plenty of rounds. Gaza Ranch has probably been some of the highlights with some really low rounds, some 64s out there at Gaza Ranch that did some damage for sure.
Q. Detailed oriented, what three holes did you put on?
CAMERON KUCHAR: 12 —
MATT KUCHAR: Putted on 2 and missed. Missed the one on 12.
CAMERON SMITH: 2, 12 and 8.
MATT KUCHAR: I was glad I stepped up and made one on 2. I felt like kept us going. Got some confidence. Hopefully did my job of freeing Cameron up. He was free and kept pouring in putts.
Q. Can you try to make sense of that? You guys played 36 holes and finished 33-under. I mean, that’s absurd, isn’t it?
CAMERON KUCHAR: Missed three.
MATT KUCHAR: It is absurd. It’s pretty magical, and again, you go back to those things, if you believe in karma or fate or something greater from above, there’s got to be something else going on.
I know that I feel confident in my game, certainly his game. I keep seeing him improve and improve and it’s so fun for me to see him continue to get better, and for him to put on a show when it really matters when cameras are out — I don’t think he’s been on a stage. He’s played in some big junior events but certainly when you get on a national scene like this, it’s unique and he rose to the occasion in a big way.
Q. Did your playing partners say anything to you, like “stop it”?
MATT KUCHAR: No, Dalys were so nice to play with. Any time we’ve been paired with them, they are always sweethearts of people. We always have a great time. They couldn’t be more encouraging.
I know always seems like you’re going to play with the Dalys and there’s going to be some sideshow stuff going on. Certainly they bring out a lot of fans. A lot of people come, they just love the Dalys but they could not be sweeter people. They are awfully nice to play with.
Q. What are perspectives that your dad gave you as a young athlete that you’ve tried to instill in Cameron?
CAMERON KUCHAR: Batting lefty in baseball is a big one?
MATT KUCHAR: I’d like to thing hard work. Our family shares a lot of stories from their childhoods and parents childhoods and Dad’s parents immigrated from the Ukraine to the United States. Hard workers were window washers. To see each generation get better, it was instilled, you provide for your kids to let them have a chance to have a better life than you did. But there’s hard work and you have a chance and you need to take advantage of the opportunity that you have.
For us, we’re quite fortunate just to be here in the U.S. to have that chance to have each generation become better and it’s fun to watch kids. I know Dad’s dad, just beamed with pride with what I did for a living, just loved seeing me play golf on the weekends, and they were funny. They could never understand why I would ever take a week off because they just said — they had nothing to watch when I took a week off.
But they were that type of people. They were just hard working — hard-working people, and to try to pass that whole mentality and that story on of, hey, you’ve got a chance, we’re going to give you the best chance. But it’s up to you to go make a better life.
It’s been fun. Certainly the beauty about sports is that you have to earn it. You have to put in the work. Nobody is blessed with being great just because they were born a great athlete. You either can play or you can’t. If you can play, you’ve earned that right and so it’s been great to see both my boys are doing well in their respective sport but it requires hard work, and they put the effort in, and it’s nice to see some results come.
Q. You’ve had some amazing victories and amazing weekends of competitive golf, where will this rank, these two rounds of golf that you’ve had?
MATT KUCHAR: Very special. These are the most unique Mike trophies. We’re certainly happy to display them proudly.
Most of my trophies come with a little photo of the family alongside the trophy ceremony, and you look back and it’s fun for me to see the kids through the ages from being tiny tots to where I could told both of them to where there’s no chance I could hold either one of them.
And now to have this shot with the family, it’s clearly missing — missing one (fighting back tears) but it’s special, very special.
Q. So where will the trophies go?
MATT KUCHAR: Got a neat area in the living room that kind of has some of my collection but it’s more of kids trophies, and it’s living that’s very much beside where the TV goes where we spend a lot of our time.
The kids have started putting in lots of their trophies, which is good fun. But these will be prominently displayed in that area, that’s for sure.
Q. Not going to Fort Worth?
MATT KUCHAR: Be interesting —
CAMERON SMITH: Probably leave it at the house but you never know. I think they would probably look the best together. So not going to steal his and take it to TCU.
MATT KUCHAR: We might have to make up Cameron some kind of rodeo champion belt buckle that signify — maybe a Willy Park logo on the belt buckle that will insignify the “2025 PNC Champions.” Keep these at home.
