Matt Kuchar wins Memorial championship by two strokes
American seals his first multiple-win season of career then is congratulated by legend Nicklaus
Most of the perks from winning the Memorial were evident to Matt Kuchar soon after his 20-foot birdie putt tumbled into the final hole.
He looked just beyond the 18th green to where three-year-old son Carson was giving a high-five to tournament host Jack Nicklaus. He had the first multiple-win season of his PGA Tour career. Kuchar went to a career-best No4 in the world ranking. He is all but assured of returning to Muirfield Village in October as part of the Presidents Cup team.
"To walk off the green and to greet Mr Nicklaus and have him congratulate me, that's something I'll certainly never forget," he said.
Perhaps the greatest benefit was one only Kuchar could feel - confidence. And that's a big deal with the US Open approaching.
Kuchar missed only one fairway and held off a hard-charging Kevin Chappell over the last three holes to close with a four-under 68 for a two-shot victory. The win came a week after he was runner-up by one shot at the Colonial.
"Great golf breeds more great golf," Kuchar said. "Winning tournaments breeds winning more tournaments. Anytime you can get comfortable playing in that final group, finishing off a tournament, winning a tournament is a huge amount of confidence. I'm looking forward to my chances there at Merion."
Kuchar played the kind of golf that goes a long way at the US Open, which starts on June 13 at Philadelphia's Merion Golf Club.
He's always smiling, and he had good reason on this day. He joined Woods has the only players to win more than once this year on tour - Kuchar also won the Match Play Championship in February - and his game is peaking heading into a summer of majors, the one missing piece for the 35-year-old American.
"There are a couple of things I thought were missing from my pedigree," Kuchar said. "A major championship is on the list, and a multiple-win season was on the list. That's something that at the beginning of the year when I set goals, I wanted to achieve. And making the Presidents Cup team was on the list. To have kind of sealed the deal with winning this tournament feels really good.
"Having a multiple-win season is nice to be able to check that one off the list."
Nicklaus offered some help on that other item. "If Matt would ask me, 'What would you do coming up with Merion?' I would only..." Nicklaus said before Kuchar leaned into his microphone and interrupted him.
"What would you do coming up with Merion?" Kuchar said.
Nicklaus suggested going a week early, as he always did in winning his record 18 majors. By the time Nicklaus was finished talking, Kuchar was making plans to go to Merion on Tuesday.
