Matthew "Matt" Kuchar is a veteran professional golfer born on June 21, 1978. He attended the Georgia Institute of Technology, was a two-time first-team All-American, and won the 1997 U.S. Amateur, earning his entry at the Masters Tournament and U.S. Open for the next season; he finished tied for 21st and 14th as a low amateur, respectively.
Kuchar turned professional in 2000 and won his first professional win at the 2002 Honda Classic (now the Cognizant Classic). Kuchar has a total of 18 professional wins, including the 2012 Players Championship and the 2013 WGC Match Play. The 2017 Open Championship was his best major finish, coming in solo second to Jordan Spieth. Further, his highest career ranking was No. 4 according to the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) in 2013, and as of July 2024, he is ranked No. 116.
Has Matt Kuchar won an Olympic medal?
Yes, Matt Kuchar won a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics in the individual men’s event. The English Justin Rose won the gold medal and the Swedish Henrik Stenson won the silver.
Kuchar won bronze at the Olympic Games for the first time in 112 years, since the sport was added last to the Olympic schedule in 1904.
Kuchar always wanted to see Rio, as per USA Today, and he happened to get the spot when Spieth withdrew. He began four shots behind Australian Marcus Fraser for a bronze medal and seven behind leader Justin Rose of Great Britain.
After a slow start, Kuchar eventually made his breakthrough with a birdie on the par-5 fifth hole. He then went on to move from 5 under to 9 under with more birdies on the sixth, eighth, and ninth holes. As Fraser stumbled and Thomas Pieters, along with Spanish Rafa Cabrera Bello, began to retreat, Kuchar shot into medal contention.
Kuchar would go on to birdie the 15th and 17th holes, but he was unable to take advantage of an excellent chance to put stress on Rose and Stenson at the driveable 16th and 18th holes. At the end of the round, Kuchar shot an 8-under par with an exceptional score of 63, making just three putts of 10 feet or longer: a 10-footer for par at the 11th, a 13-footer for birdie at the 15th, and an eagle at the 10th.
FAQ's On Matt Kuchar’s Olympic Medals
A. No, Matt Kuchar has never won a major tournament; his best finish was at the 2017 Open Championship, finishing solo runner-up to Jordan Speith by three strokes.
A. Matt Kuchar didn't fall under the eligibility criteria for the 2024 Masters Tournament.
A. Matt Kuchar is American. He was born in Winter Park, Florida, in the United States.
A. No, Matt Kuchar has not retired as of July 2024.
A. Matt Kuchar is 46 years old as of July 2024. He was born on June 21, 1978.
