SERGIO GARCIA AND Matt Kuchar have cleared the air after their misunderstanding at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.
Garcia narrowly missed a putt on the seventh green in Saturday’s quarter-final clash in Austin. Kuchar was ready to concede with the ball just a few inches from the cup, but Garcia quickly followed up and swiped a rushed attempt around the lip.
It all happened too soon for Kuchar to have formally conceded, which led Garcia to lose the hole and fall two behind.
The interaction left many scratching their heads, but Kuchar said it was all an overreaction.
“What’s gone on with the aftermath is just incorrect, wrong and shouldn’t happen,” Kuchar said in an Instagram video posted on Garcia’s account.
“I want to tell you, Sergio handled the thing extremely well. When he missed the putt, we came off seven and he said, ‘You know what, I missed it. It’s your hole.’ I told him how bad I felt, didn’t feel right at all [and I] never want to win on a technicality.”
Kuchar noted Garcia never asked for him to concede the hole, despite contradicting comments made at the tournament.
Garcia, again, said the mishap was his fault and provided further explanation of what happened on the green.
“I know I made a mistake on seven and, you know, didn’t give [Kuchar] time to say ‘that’s good,’ even though, obviously, we all know in our minds that it was good because it was a short putt,” Garcia said.
“But at the end of the day, I made a mistake and he unfortunately didn’t know how to make up for what happened. But it’s all good. We’re all good.”
The video was recorded on Monday and captioned: “It was nice to run into Matt Kuchar at Austin Golf Club today.
“A lot has been said about Saturday and most has been misconstrued. We’re all good here. Nothing but respect for each other and it’s time to move on.”
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Oh thank god for that , I’m glad they are all good now , because the thought of facing a days work knowing two multi milllionaire golfers had fallen out over a round of golf was really starting to get to me , I’m just glad they are ok and they can move on with there lives .
Two of the least likeable pros out there. They deserve each other.
Kuchar now blubbering the complete opposite to what he quoted the press at the tournament. There he claimed he himself approached the officials to inform them he hadn’t conceded a 3 inch putt.
What a PR disaster this chap is. And bit of a knob.
On a Sunday morning, if you stuck Patrick Reed in with them, I’d still be checking the timesheet to see if I could make another fourball up..
Kuchar should have conceded the next hole, as a gesture of sportsmanship. But he said he “wasn’t ready” to do that. So his comments from Monday are total BS and most likely directed to him from his PR people. Kuchar is not a likeable fella at all tbh
Golf is about putting the ball in the hole this conceding lark should b done away with every putt can b missed
Probably a mix of stupidity and frustration but totally Garcia’s fault.