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Kuchar Avoids Drama in Memorial Win

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Many have written that Jack Nicklaus created a version of an homage to Augusta National golf club at his Muirfield Village golf club in Dublin, Ohio. If that is the case, he inadvertently mimicked another element offered annually by the site of the Masters: the final-round charge.

For whatever reason, no one runs away with the Memorial Tournament and try as they might, Charl Schwartzel and Bill Haas, the leaders after rounds one and two, were unable to establish a gap and hide from the field.

Kevin Chappell, a UCLA graduate, did his best to create the dramatic finish typically found at Augusta. Matt Kuchar had other ideas, however.

Kuchar shot a final-round 68 to go 12-under and win the Memorial Tournament Sunday — his second PGA Tour win of the year.

The winner of the WGC-Accenture Match Play in February, Kuchar made 14 birdies through the first three rounds, avoided the bogey train and the big numbers through 54 holes. He went to sleep on Saturday night with a pair of strokes in hand over Kyle Stanley and Chappell.

For much of the fourth round, drama was lacking in the upper echelon of the tournament. Although Scott Stallings reached 6-under for the round with six birdies in a seven-hole stretch, he could not maintain the pace and finished the day at 5-under, good for a top-five finish in the event. James Driscoll also signed for 67, a final round that moved him 32 spots, into the top 15.

Kuchar played patient golf through the first two-thirds of his round. He more than countered a single bogey with four birdies, then applied a death blow on the par-5 No. 15. After reaching the green in two mighty blows, Kuchar calmly two-putted for birdie and a four-stroke advantage.

Check out what Kuchar was using in his bag here.

Unable to protect the lead, Kuchar fanned an iron wide right of the par-3 No. 16 and could not get up and down. With his lead reduced to three, the Georgian drove into a fairway bunker on the penultimate hole. Chappell placed his approach inside 20 feet, then made the putt to move to 9-under. The leader coaxed a five-foot par putt into the hole to move to the 72nd hole with his two-stroke advantage intact. Stanley dropped out of contention with a bogey on No. 17.

But Chappell simply would not go away. He stuck his 150-yard approach to 2 feet for a certain birdie on No. 18 and moved to 10-under. Kuchar, displaying the aplomb of a veteran, played to 20 feet and stroked the putt into the hole for his sixth birdie of the afternoon and a two-stroke victory. Stanley parred the final hole to finish solo third.

Although Schwartzel and Haas were still technically in the mix despite poor Saturday rounds, neither could mount a Sunday charge, finishing T-8 and T-4, respectively. Russell Henley and Michael Thompson, already winners on Tour in 2013, broke into the 60s on Sunday, earning top-10 results for both fledgling pros.

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Ronald Montesano writes for GolfWRX.com from western New York. He dabbles in coaching golf and teaching Spanish, in addition to scribbling columns on all aspects of golf, from apparel to architecture, from equipment to travel. Follow Ronald on Twitter at @buffalogolfer.

2 Comments

2 Comments

  1. Ronald Montesano

    Jun 3, 2013 at 5:09 am

    He is a multi-faceted talent, without doubt. He embraces all aspects of the game and doesn’t have a glaring deficiency in his pro game. Unless something intervenes, he should be a stalwart on US teams for years to come.

  2. Tony

    Jun 2, 2013 at 10:02 pm

    Much at is so under rated. I love. Him he’ssneaky consistent and is sponsored by grey goose how can you not support this guy

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