- Matt Kuchar Wins Barclays Playoff
- Battle of the Belt Buckles on the 1st Tee
- Make it, Make a Million
- Swap Shirts, Help Lives
- Hanging out at the 15th
- The Caddie
- Fun at the Five and Dime
- Ryder Cup wildcard auditions
- Scenes from a Driving Range
- The Barclays Round One
- Interview with John Wesolowski
- Interview with Robert E Diamond Jr
- Tiger Woods
- The Barclays Pro-Am Story
- Interview with David Reasoner
- Birdies for the Brave
Matt Kuchar Wins Barclays Playoff
By Paul Mahoney
At Ridgewood Country Club
Georgia's Matt Kuchar edged out Glasgow's Martin Laird in the playoff at Ridgewood Country Club, New Jersey to win the 2010 The Barclays, $1.35 million and an enormous crystal vase that wouldn't look out of place in Gulliver's Travels. Just a guess, but it will probably be filled with something other than flowers for the next couple of days. "It's a massive piece. It'll take a double magnum of champagne or a jeroboam to fill it," Kuchar said laughing. He finished with a fourth round 66 for a total of 12 under par. Tiger Woods continued his comeback with a tie for 12th t seven under par.
Presentation ceremonies at golf tournaments always cause a sudden outbreak of Blazers. Victims break out in a uniform rash of beige chino and loafers. There's no cure. But officials are VIPs and are an essential part of the seemingly endless conveyor belt of photo opportunities on the 18th green. Kuchar was sweating. Not because it was still blazing hot in New Jersey but because the trophy weighed a ton.
It didn't take long for the alpha-male photographer to take control of the pack. He was wearing a curled-back hunter hat that made him look like he would be just as comfortable shooting elephants in the jungle than a golfer at a country club. Kuchar smiled through it all. He smiles a lot all the time, even when he loses. Which he didn't. If no one in Europe had ever heard of him, they will now when he turns up in Wales for the Ryder Cup. If there's a smile-off at Celtic Manor, Kuchar will be Team USA's go-to guy. None of this pomp held any interest for Kuchar's two-year-old son Cameron. He spotted the nice big sand pit next to the green and dived straight in. No penalties for kids.
"There's nothing like the feeling of winning a PGA Tour golf tournament," Kuchar said. "You feel like you are the best player in the world for this week. I mean, it's just an amazing feeling to think there's 125 of the best players in the world started this week and I came out first." Now Kuchar will go to Boston next week leading the FedEx Playoff points heading the pack chasing the $10 million bonus. He will also go to the Ryder Cup in October as a champion rather than as a rookie clutching a bunch of top tens. "There's nothing like winning to build confidence," he said. "You feel like you're top of the world." Top of the world? Kuchar was starting to sound like Jimmy Cagney in White Heat. That explosive ending would probably wipe the smile off Kuchar's face. Probably not, though.
