Matt Kuchar avoided the big mistakes that slowed so many other contenders – starting with Kevin Na – and kept it out of the water on the Stadium Course to eliminate the kind of drama he didn't need. He closed with a 2-under 70 for a two-shot victory.
That famous smile, which he first showed the golf world as an amateur in 1998 competing on the biggest stages, was brighter than ever as Kuchar tapped in for par. He celebrated on the 18th green with his wife and two sons, and shared a hug and a high-five with his mother.
His parents moved to Ponte Vedra Beach and Kuchar stayed with them all week. Coming off the green, he said he was "about to buckle" after such a week. Just like his golf at the dangerous TPC Sawgrass, he kept it together.
"It's such an amazing feeling – playing amongst the game's best, to come out on top, to do it on Mother's Day ... it really is magical," Kuchar said.
Along with the pressure of trying to win, Na had to put up with some heckling. Already considered a slow player, he struggles to take the club back without practice swings and waggles, and over the ball he could hear fans saying, "Pull the trigger" or "Hit it."
"I backed off and they're booing me," Na said. "I said, 'Look, guys, I backed off because of you guys.' ... But it is what it is. I also felt that a lot of people were turning towards me and pulling for me, which I really appreciate."
