Matt Kuchar’s magic moment as he rejoices in Players Championship win

05:01 04/12/2013
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  • Armed with a wide smile throughout his four rounds at Sawgrass, Matt Kuchar was laughing all the way to the bank after winning the $9.5million (Dh34m) Players Championship – the richest prize-money tournament in golf and known as the ‘fifth Major’.

    Kuchar kept his composure while others around him caved under the pressure to close with a two-under 70 to finish at 13-under-par 275 for his fourth win on the PGA Tour. By far the biggest title of his career – worth $1.71m (Dh6.27m).

    “What an amazing feeling to hoist this trophy and win among one of the strongest fields in golf,” the world No5 said. “To come out on top, to do it on Mother’s Day… it really is magical. The smile is there because I’m having a good time, because I’m loving playing golf.”

    Martin Laird rolled in five birdies in a seven-hole stretch to grab a share of the lead. But Laird closed with a bogey for a five-under 67 and shares second place at 11-under-par 277 with Zach Johnson (68), Ben Curtis (68) and Rickie Fowler (70).

    Luke Donald closed with a six-under 66 to end alone in sixth at 279. But his storming finish was not enough to wrest away the world No1 crown from Rory McIlroy. He needed a solo fourth or better to regain the top spot.

    Third-round leader Kevin Na stumbled to a four-over 76 as he dropped into a tie for seventh place at eight-under-par 280. Na was heckled by the crowd as he struggled to get around the course in his allotted time.

    Fowler’s second place came just a week after his maiden PGA Tour win at Quail Hollow. The 23-year-old made a late charge with birdies on the 16th and 17th holes, but missed a nine-foot birdie putt on the 18th that could have put Kuchar under some pressure playing the difficult last two holes.

    But Kuchar, who was on the 16th green when Fowler dropped his birdie putt on the adjacent 17th island green, birdied the 16th and then safely parred the last two. “I saw Rickie’s putt on 17 and I knew it got him to within two shots and he could birdie 18 to reduce it to one. That could have changed the whole scenerio of how I would play the last hole,” he added.

     

     

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