Matt and Cameron Kuchar reflect on the record-setting, emotional PNC Championship victory, dominant mixed play, family memories, gratitude, and faith.
Q. You guys came in looking for these belts, and you got them, you’re going to take them back to TCU. Talk about today and the weekend as a whole, what does it mean for you to do this together?
MATT KUCHAR: This is something that we’ve been – we’ve had our sites for many years, since Cameron started, I played my first year with my dad, he has great memories. Old memories of Dad, and Cameron was playing and we were just shy of seeing the green twice, near the water’s edge, and his chipping wasn’t his strong suit and he was completely chipping away at the chip. I don’t think Cameron could see all the way down the hill. Dad smiles from above.
Cameron also knew he had a runway for the event. Cameron and Carson became best friends. Cam and I have had opportunities every year Cam has played, and we’ve gotten close. Some of them were frustrated not to play better on Sunday but man, this Sunday, I don’t know if it could have gone any better.
Q. 28 years at the event, set multiple scoring records, finished 33-under, dominated the margin of victory, were you watching the scoreboards while you were there or just having fun?
CAMERON KUCHAR: Just having fun, really. I knew there was a scoreboard on par 5, 14. We had four shots, just keep going. He was tested again on the 17th, and this may be a record. See what we’re up to on the 18th.
But I think this could be a record. I snap a drive and he hits a huge 7 iron about a foot and a half. Then we find out that just after setting the record with five shots. It’s amazing after going 15-under, 13-under, last year.
MATT KUCHAR: I think I only pitched about three times. His chance to make a solo birdie, he dominated again today. I was happy to come and help out a few times today.
Q. And two eagles today.
CAMERON KUCHAR: 3, hit a nice little hybrid that went around the tree 12 feet and rolled in the putt, which at the start of the round –
MATT KUCHAR: It was really nice to go birdie, birdie first. The Dalys, just missed the birds by 2. You never know how your day is going to go but if you see a few putts go in early, it helps. Birdieing 1 and 2, it helps, but seeing an eagle come in on 3, wow, this could be a sign of a really good day to come.
Q. Are you going to wear those belts on vacation with the family?
CAMERON KUCHAR: Absolutely.
MATT KUCHAR: I got a bad jacket at The Heritage tournament, at the Hilton Head tournament, which comes out at Christmas. The perfect Christmas color.
So it comes out once a year at Christmas. I’m looking forward to getting it out. And I really like to compare it to this. This is something I will never forget. I think we all have a lot to be thankful for. To be a part of this event, just to be included in this event, thank you very much, to do this – I don’t know if you believe in karma, if you believe in creation, whatever you believe, there’s something – something magical there. I believe in God that my father is higher than he is looking down, and that—what happened at 18, I couldn’t stand up and shoot. The fact that I hit it all the way to the foot, makes me think that there is something more (tearing). Just remember — miss Pops.
Q. What would Pops say?
MATT KUCHAR: Definitely proud. I think back, and I think people have told me that as time goes on, you stop thinking about the things you miss and think about the things you appreciate and the good times you had. Of course I think back to some of the big punches in boxing we and I go inside the ropes together and outside the ropes together. There would certainly be big fist pumps and certainly a lot of pride.
Q. I know it’s a scramble and the numbers are skewed, but how good 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 let him know, well, I did it myself. But he also did a few solos and he’d come back and go, “It was just me there.”
It was just fun going back and forth like that.
MATT KUCHAR: His pitching was incredible. If I could shout out to Bettinardi. We were up in Chicago over Thanksgiving. He entered the Bettinardi factory. The boys took us back to the kid friendly nest where we put putters and let us choose putters. Cam is chosen – makes me think of “Nature,” the little bat boy and goes to pick a winner. And Cameron has picked a winner in this group.
I have never seen him put so well in my life.
And if I know the sidebar; The Bettinardis have family issues, if anyone can send prayers their way, they could use some.
But the putter he chose is amazing and he made it work today. And for me to only putt three times in a round of golf is crazy.
Q. And then, again, anyway, scores, what was your best round from the AJGA anywhere?
CAMERON SMITH: My best cycle of my life?
Q. Working. Not really points?
MATT KUCHAR: You lit up some people at Gaza Ranch over the summer. There have been some really low points. I’m glad I wasn’t in those groups because he would throw dust at me.
So far, I think he has cut me off three times but I think there are more rounds. Gaza Ranch has probably been some of the highlights with some really low rounds, some of the 64s out there at Gaza Ranch have certainly done some damage.
Q. Detail oriented, what three holes did you put in?
CAMERON KUCHAR: 12 —
MATT KUCHAR: Lined up at 2 and missed. You missed 12.
CAMERON SMITH: 2, 12 and 8.
MATT KUCHAR: I’m glad I went up and did one in 2. I have some confidence. I hope I did my part to free Cameron. He was comfortable and kept pouring putts.
Q. Can you try to make sense of that? You guys played 36 holes and finished 33-under. I mean, that’s stupid, right?
CAMERON KUCHAR: He missed three times.
MATT KUCHAR: It makes no sense. It’s good magic, and again, you go back to those things, if you believe in karma or fate or something big from above, there’s got to be something else going on.
I know I feel confident in my game, certainly his game. I always see him improve and improve and I’m very happy to see him continue to get better, and also put on a show where it’s really important when the cameras are out — I don’t think he’s been on stage. He has played in big junior events but when you get to a national stage like this, it is different and he got up and went to the big event.
Q. Did your teammates say something to you, like “stop it”?
MATT KUCHAR: No, Dalys was a lot of fun to play with. Whenever we are paired with them, they are always people’s favorites. We always have a good time. They could not encourage.
I know it always looks like he’s going to play with the Dalys and there’s going to be potential. They certainly bring out a lot of fans. Many people come, they just like the Dalys but they could not be nice people. They are great to play with.
Q. What ideas did your father give you as a young athlete that you tried to instill in Cameron?
CAMERON KUCHAR: Is left-handed hitting a big deal in baseball?
MATT KUCHAR: I would like to do the hard work. Our family shares many stories from their childhood and parents’ childhood and my father’s parents moved from Ukraine to the United States. Industrious workers were washing the windows. To see each generation getting better, it was instilled, you provide for your children to let them have a chance to have a better life than you. But there is hard work and you have an opportunity and you need to make the most of the opportunity you have.
For us, we are lucky to be here in the US to have that opportunity for each generation to get better and it’s fun to watch the kids. I know my father’s father, he was always excited about what I do for a living, he just liked to see me play golf on the weekends, and they were funny. They didn’t understand why I would take a week off because they just said – they had nothing to watch when I took the whole week off.
But they were that kind of people. They were just working hard – hard working people, and trying to convey that whole idea and that message of, hey, you’ve got a chance, we’re going to give you a really good chance. But it is up to you to make a better life.
It was fun. Of course, the beauty of sports is that you have to find it. You have to enter the job. No one is blessed to be great just because they were born a great player. You can play or you can’t. If you can play, you’ve earned that right and it’s been great to see both my boys do well in sports but it takes hard work, and they put in the effort, and it’s nice to see the results come.
Q. You’ve had amazing victories and amazing weekends of competitive golf, where would this rank, the two rounds of golf you’ve had?
MATT KUCHAR: It’s very special. These are Mike’s most unique awards. We are really happy to display them with pride.
Most of my trophies come with a small family photo on the side of the trophy ceremony, and you look back and it makes me happy to see the kids through the years from being little kids to where I could tell both of them where there was no chance of me holding one of them.
And now to get this shot with the family, it’s obviously lost – missing one (fighting tears) but it’s special, very special.
Q. So where will the lips go?
MATT KUCHAR: I have a neat spot in the living room with some of my collections but it’s over the kids’ lips, and it lives right next to where the TV goes where we spend most of our time.
The kids are starting to put in a lot of their lips, which is fun. But these will be featured prominently in that area, that’s for sure.
Q. Not going to Fort Worth?
MATT KUCHAR: Be interested —
CAMERON SMITH: Maybe he left it at home but you never know. I think they would probably look the best together. So he won’t steal his and take it to TCU.
MATT KUCHAR: We might have to make Cameron some kind of rodeo champion belt buckle that says – maybe a Willy Park logo on the belt buckle that says “2025 PNC Champions.” Keep these at home.
