Team Kuchar nearly sets PNC Championship course record, steals Woods family thunder

The Kuchars were unstoppable in Round 1 of the PNC Championship, coming close to the 18-hole record.

Matt Kuchar and his son Cameron put on a show Saturday morning at the PNC Championship. The duo fired a 15-under 57 to lead the field by three shots.

While Tiger Woods and Charlie Woods were the talk all week leading up to the first round, it was the Kuchar duo who stole the show.

They were one stroke away from tying the 18-hole scoring record. Davis Love III and Dru Love carded a 56 in the second round of the 2018 PNC Championship en route to winning with a 26-under overall score.

With inclement weather, the tournament was forced to utilize split tees. So, the Kuchars started on the back nine. They were the first team off, and it was beneficial. The weather worsened as the day passed, leaving the Kuchars on the right end of the draw.

“We got pretty lucky,” Matt Kuchar said. “This weather right now is worse than we played in. We had a light drizzle. I brought an umbrella out for all of two minutes. Having a cart was a bonus. That 7:30 tee time, first off, wind wasn’t bad so conditions were fairly soft. I think we got lucky with the best of it.”

Team Kuchar took advantage of every opportunity Saturday. Through their first five holes, they went 5-under. They made the turn in 29 strokes after adding two more birdies on the par-4 16th and par-5 18th.

“To get off to a good start was an awfully good feeling, and then we kept it going,” Matt Kuchar said. “I think between his great play, his great putting, and we kind of just really ham-and-egged it well out there today.”

They kept it rolling on the second nine, birdieing the 1st and 2nd holes. Then Cameron made an incredible eagle putt to get them to 11-under on the day.

“That eagle putt was big. After I made it, I talked to my brother in the cart, and I was like, ‘Oh, wow, we are 10- or 11-under through 12; this is pretty cool,’” Cameron Kuchar said. “I joked that — my brother’s name is Carson, and I said, ‘That’s for you, Carson.’ It turned out good. We made the putt and joked, ‘Do it for Carson.’ We kept making birdies, and Carson was out there; he’s excited, like, ‘Come on guys, do it for me.’”

Having that extra reason to play for Carson gave them an extra boost. The Kuchars made four more birdies in their last six holes to come home in 28 strokes. It was an incredible round for the 16-year-old and his dad.

Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images

This year marks Cameron’s third PNC Championship appearance. He made his debut in 2020, the same year as Charlie Woods. They were both the center of attention that year. That year showed Cameron had game, but a few years later, he clearly inherited his dad’s love for the game as well.

“From a young age, he’s been tagging along with a golf club in hand,” Matt Kuchar said. “But continued to see the interest grow and grow. I don’t know if there was a time when he got more serious, but it seemed like that love continued to grow. It was already there from the age of two and has kept going.”

Eighteen holes stand between Team Kuchar and their first PNC Championship win. There are four teams at 12-under, but it’s the Kuchars to lose right now.

Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, be sure to follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.