PARAMUS, N.J. — Matt Kuchar’s fortunes took quite a turn Sunday, and so did his golf ball.
Kuchar beat Colorado State graduate Martin Laird in a playoff at The Barclays with a 7-iron out of the rough that rolled toward the back of the 18th green, then caught enough of the slope to turn back toward the hole and stop 30 inches away to set up a birdie. It was a stunning conclusion to the first FedEx Cup playoff event.
Kuchar closed with a 5-under-par 66, and it didn’t look as though it would be enough. Laird had a one-shot lead and needed two putts from just inside 25 feet for the victory, when he ran his putt 7 feet past the hole. He missed the par putt, setting up the playoff.
The timing could not have been better for Kuchar.
His first victory of the year came two weeks after he made his first Ryder Cup team, and the win can only give him a shot of confidence. Kuchar moved to No. 1 in the FedEx Cup standings by winning the first playoff event, giving him a good shot at the $10 million prize.
“Even if I had shut it down without a win, I would have felt it was a great year,” Kuchar said. “To win, it’s an incredible year.”
Laird, who recovered from a shaky start, looked just as shaky at the end, especially with his putter.
He was tied with Kuchar when he had a 20-foot eagle putt on the par-5 17th, only to roll it nearly 8 feet beyond the hole. He made that birdie putt to take the lead, then repeated his mistake on the final hole in regulation.
This time, the comeback putt never had a chance. Neither did Laird in the playoff after Kuchar’s shot stopped so close to the cup. Laird hit out of the rough to about 50 feet and made par.
“Obviously, not the finish I was looking for,” Laird said. “But I’m very proud of the way I played today.”
The consolation for Laird was being safe through the playoffs. He was at No. 95, hopeful of advancing to the second round, and the finish puts him at No. 3 and virtually guarantees he’ll be among the top 30 at the Tour Championship.
