There is no crying in baseball but there is in golf. Tears of remembrance of Matt Kuchar’s father, Peter, who died in February streamed down Kuchar’s cheeks on the 18th fairway as he realized he and his son Cameron would win the 2025 PNC Championship.
It was touching to see Cameron consoling his father and steeling him to prepare for their final approach shot to the 18th green. Cameron hit a nice shot to the green, but Matt hit his approach to a few feet of the hole which must have made “Pops” proud as they went on to make eagle and finish with a recording breaking score of -33.
The PNC Championship has been played since 1995, starting as a father-son tournament. Fuzzy Zoeller’s daughter, Gretchen Zoeller, was the first female to compete in the PNC Championship, partnering with her father in 2005. Fuzzy Zoeller died Thanksgiving Day this year.
Other daughters, such as Bernhard Langer’s daughter, Christina (2013 and 2016), and Jerry Pate’s daughter, Jenni, have also competed in the tournament. Steve Stricker played with his daughter Izzi (Isabella) this year.
LPGA Hall of Famer, Annika Sorenstam, made history later in 2019 by becoming the first female professional major champion to compete in the event, playing with her father, Tom. For the past several years she has played with her now 14-year-old son, Will McGee, who is the youngest competitor in the field.
The oldest player in the 2025 PNC Championship was legendary golfer, Lee Trevino, who is 86 years old and played alongside his son, Daniel Trevino. He was the only player to have participated in every edition of the event, making him a consistent fixture and highlight, even holing out for an eagle during the tournament.
The PNC Championship has become an annual holiday tradition as we watch the father’s and son’s, and father’s and daughter’s and mother’s and sons grow up and get older each year. We marvel at their talent and the joy they share with each other on the golf course. Memories are made and remembered as time passes on.
Golf has a unique way of bonding us as friends and family. We share the triumph and the failure and remember it’s just a game. A game we share with each other.
Enjoy the Holidays with your family and endeavor to spend more time with them in the coming year, especially on the golf course.
As Matt Kucher said, “I don’t know if you believe in karma, if you believe in fate, whatever you believe in, there’s something magical that does exist,” he said as tears began to form as he excepted the winning trophy belts.
“I’m a believer in God that Dad is up above looking down, and 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. Just miss Pops.”
It was a remarkable performance for the Kucher’s as the tournament shines a spotlight on family. Great golf, wonderful theatre, and a nice tone for the Holidays.
