The year 2025 started with a heavy cloud for Matt Kuchar. His beloved father, Peter, passed away suddenly, and this loss left a giant hole in the heart of the nine-time PGA Tour winner and his family. However, December brought something magical for the Kuchar family at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in sunny Florida. Matt and his son, Cameron, played like golf gods to win the PNC Championship, crushing the old record by five shots with a stunning 33-under-par total, seven shots ahead of the second-place team Love.
And after the final putt, the PGA Tour shared a video that showed a tearful Kuchar hugging his family while fans cheered their success. “I know Pops is giving big fist pumps up in the sky,” the caption read. Matt could not stop his tears as he thought about his father watching them. “It’s certainly been tough for me. Dad—Dad is missed,” the golf star said. “I definitely got very emotional there coming in, thinking about this moment and how much it would mean to Dad if he was here. So I know Pop’s giving big fist pumps up in the sky.”
He also thanked Rob Reilly and the PNC team for making this event possible, and the emotional victory felt like a warm hug from heaven for the entire family. The victory felt extra special because of the funny memories shared on this course. “Kooch” laughed through his tears while remembering his father’s silly golf mistakes. “I still remember Dad chunking a chip from close to the water here,” Matt shared. His son, Cameron, had wanted those famous red Willie Park belts for many years. Now, the future TCU star finally has the trophy his grandfather would have loved. “To know that Dad’s looking down on us, it—um, chokes me up, for sure.”