Matt Kuchar Bio: Caddie, Net Worth, Wife & Golf Swing

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Matt Kuchar is a professional golfer who golfs in the Professional Golfers’ Association. Besides that, he also used to golf in the Nationwide tour called the Korn Ferry Tour

His highest career ranking was world no. 4 that he achieved in 2013.

Moreover, Kuchar is considered one of the hardest working golfers whose dedication to the game is often praised. 

The golfer rarely crumbles in the face of adversity. So when he went through a slump in the mid-2000s, he reinvented himself and improved his skills to get out of it. 

Not to mention, Matt was the highest-earning player in the PGA Tour’s 2018–19 season despite not winning a major championship title. Likewise, he was also the PGA Tour’s leading money winner in 2010. 

Similarly, the American golfer has won nine titles on the PGA Tour. Some prestigious tournaments are the Players Championships, World Golf Championships, FedEx Cup playoff events, etc.

Matt Kuchar 2016 Summer Olympics
Matt Kuchar Showing His Olympic Bronze Medal

Including the above, he has had 17 professional wins in other tours like the European Tour, Japan Golf Tour, Asian Tour, etc. Furthermore, Kuchar is also an Olympian who has won a bronze medal for the United States in 2016. 

Aside from that, the golfer has won eminent awards like the Vardon Trophy and Byron Nelson Award. Recently, Matt played at the 3M Open but was eventually eliminated from the tournament. 

Currently, he is golfing at the Wyndham Championship, where his tee time is 17:08. The player is a great player and is well-known for his one-plane golf swing.

Before getting into details about the golf player’s life and career, here are some quick facts about him. 

Quick Facts

Full Name Matthew Gregory Kuchar
Birth Date June 21, 1978
Birth Place Winter Park, Florida, the United States
Nick Name Kuch
Religion Christian
Nationality American
Ethnicity White
Education Georgia Institute of Technology
Horoscope Cancer
Father’s Name Peter Kuchar
Mother’s Name Meg Kuchar
Siblings Rebecca Kuchar
Age 45 Years Old
Height 6’4″ (1.93 m)
Weight 195 lb (88 kg)
Hair Color Black
Eye Color Light Green
Build Atheltic
Profession Golfer
Current Tour PGA Tour
Career Highest Ranking 4
Turned Pro 2000
Marital Status Married
Wife Sybi Parker
Kids Two; Cameron Cole and Carson Wright
Net Worth $30 Million
Career Earnings $52,826,155
Social Media  Instagram
Merchandise Paperback, DVD
Last Updated March, 2024 

Matt Kuchar | Early Life, Family, and Education

Matt Kuchar was born in Winter Park, Florida, the United States. His parents are Peter Kuchar and Meg Kuchar. 

His father was a life insurance salesman. Moreover, Peter was also an athlete who played college tennis.

Besides that, Matt has a sister named Rebecca. The siblings are quite close. Hence, Kuch comes from a relatively normal family. 

His parents always supported his career choice and encouraged him to play golf when he decided to pursue it. However, as a kid, the golfer was more into tennis and basketball and hoped to pursue them professionally someday. 

The PGA player attended Seminole High School and graduated in 1996. Afterward, he chose to go to the Georgia Institute of Technology and enrolled in their golf program. 

Matt Kuchar Father
Young Matt Kuchar With His Father Peter Kuchar

Matt had a great collegiate career with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets as he became a two-time first-team All-American. Furthermore, Matt graduated college with a degree in business management. 

He won the 1997 U.S. Amateur championship as an amateur after losing the 1996 championship to Tiger Woods in the semi-finals. Moreover, Peter caddied for him during the championship in 1998.

Since Peter celebrated his son’s shots and won loudly, he received quite a few criticizations for his behavior. Nevertheless, the father did not care about the criticizations and said, 

Your son just chipped in for birdie. What are you going to do? Stand there and pretend you’re at a funeral?

Likewise, Matt liked that his dad celebrated his shots which increased their father-son bonding even more. In 1998, he received the Haskins Award awarded to the nation’s top collegiate golfer. 

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Matt Kuchar | Age, Height, and Weight

Kuchar is 45 years old as of March, 2024. Being a professional golfer, he is very concerned about his health and diet and takes great care.

Besides that, the player follows a daily workout and training routine. As a result, he has a toned physique and looks fresher than the young players in the PGA. 

Furthermore, the American golfer is 6 ft 4 inches (1.93 m) tall and weighs 195 lb (88 kg). 

Matt Kuchar | Golfing Career

Early Career and Hitting a Slump

Kuchar started working in a financial services firm, after which he decided to call quits and pursue as a professional golfer in 2000.

However, due to a delay in his decision, he missed the sign-up deadline for the 2000 qualifying school. As a result, he waited out and applied again for next year.

Hence, he received sponsors’ exemptions to some PGA Tour tournaments where he earned enough money to be fully available for the 2002 season. Therefore, he recorded his first PGA Tour victory at the 2005 Honda Classic.

Matt Kuchar Golfing
Matt Kuchar While Golfing

However, he couldn’t rise above the average line as a professional. Accordingly, the golfer won under $403,000 in 2005, ranking him 159th on the money list.

Due to his fall in the ranking, Kuch lost his tour card and failed to regain it at qualifying school. On that count, he decided to play on the Nationwide Tour in 2006, where he ranked tenth in its money list.

Consequently, he earned back his PGA Tour card for the 2007 season, where he finished 115th on the money list that extended his card for the 2008 season.

Further, he had comparatively improved his game as he listed 70th in the 2008 PGA money list.

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Re-Inventing Himself and Rising Up

Seven years after winning his first PGA Tour, Kuchar recorded his second win in the 2009 Turning Stone Resort Championship. As a result, he qualified for the 2010 Ryder Cup team.

Despite the team’s best efforts, they couldn’t claim the trophy. However, Matt gained a lot of experience, reflected in his PGA Tour as he led in top-10 finishes for the year.

However, he still could not get the edge on winning the tournament that year. Nevertheless, the rising golfer won the Vardon, Byron Nelson, and Arnold Palmer Trophy in 2010.

Likewise, the 2011 season also saw Kuchar not winning any tournament except the Omega Mission Hills World Cup with his teammate Gary Woodland.

Finally, after years of dedication and practice, he won his first major tournament at TPC Sawgrass, where he won The Players Championship.

Golfer Matt Kuchar
PGA Golfer Matt Kuchar

Consequently, the victory promoted Kuchar to a career-high of number five in the world ranking.

Further, he kept his fire going for the following season by winning the WGC-Accenture Match Play and Memorial Tournament Championships. Likewise, he also finished fourth in the 2013 World Cup of Golf.

Nonetheless, he went cold for the 2014 and 2015 seasons without winning any professional tournaments. A major victory came in the 2016 Summer Olympics, where he won bronze for his country. ‘

Moreover, the same story continued in the 2017 season where he couldn’t catch a break.

Nevertheless, he was named the non-playing vice-captain for the U.S. team in the 2018 Ryder Cup, where the U.S. team lost to the European team.

Further, he won the Mayakoba Golf Classic, where he bagged $1.296 million

Recent Career

Following the successful 2018 season, he went on to win the 2019 Sony Open in Hawaii. Likewise, he reached the finals of WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play for the second time in his career. 

Unlike last time, he couldn’t capitalize and sadly lost to  Kevin Kisner. But, moreover, he qualified for the 2019 U.S. Presidents Cup team for the Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia. 

Hence, the U.S. team clinched their victory as they battled back from 3 down against Louis Oosthuizen in a dramatic fashion.

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Highlights and Achievements

  • 1998 Eisenhower Trophy
  • Two-time Palmer Cup winner in 1998 and 1999 
  • 1999 Walker Cup
  • 2010 PGA Tour leading money winner
  • Vardon Trophy winner in 2010
  • Four-time Ryder Cup winner in 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016 
  • Byron Nelson Award winner in 2010
  • Bronze Medalist in 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics
  • Five-time Presidents Cup winner in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2019
  • Three-time World Cup winner in 2011, 2013, and 2018

Matt Kuchar | Marriage, Wife, and Kids 

The American golfer is married to Sybi Parker. The two met at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where Sybi was a tennis player while Kuchar was on the golf team. 

Although they were close in college, the couple only found their way to each other after graduating college. Also, the two were so busy with their respective sports and schoolwork that they had very little time thinking about dating. 

However, after college, they started talking with one another, and soon enough, the pair started dating. Moreover, they got engaged and married in 2003, only a year after dating each other. 

Furthermore, Parker was an exceptional tennis player at Georgia Tech. Nevertheless, her tennis career was limited to college only as she chose not to pursue a professional tennis career. 

Nonetheless, she did teach tennis after her graduation for a brief time. Since Matt loves tennis too, the husband-wife duo plays tennis often during the off-season. 

Matt Kuchar With His Wife and Kids
Matt Kuchar With His Wife and Kids Afer Winning The Mayakoba Golf Tournament

Not to mention, the pair has won the consolation title in the USTA National Husband/Wife Doubles Championship. Besides that, Sybi is quite involved in her husband’s career and has even caddied for him a few times. 

Kuchar claims his wife to be his biggest support system and considers her to be his best friend.

Even though they’ve been married for almost 18 years now, their love for each other is as new as newlyweds. 

Kids

The couple has two adorable sons, namely Cameron Cole and Carson Wright. They are very much into sports like their parents. 

Besides that, the two boys join their father on his tour sometimes to cheer him on. Furthermore, they’re often seen on the golf course with their father with golf clubs in their hand.  

Hence, if they ever want to excel in golf or tennis, they have the best teachers in their hands. Aside from that, the Kuchar family resides in St. Simons Island, Georgia, where Sybi grew up. 

Matt Kuchar | Net Worth, Income, and Endorsements

The Olympian golfer earned most of his wealth through his professional career in the Professional Golfers’ Association. Matt’s net worth is estimated at $30 million

Moreover, his career earnings through prize money amount to $52,826,155.

Not to mention, Kuchar was PGA Tour’s leading money winner in 2010.

Furthermore, his income in 2010 was 4.9 million. Likewise, in 2019, the golfer earned $6,294,690 in income from the PGA. 

Besides that, the player earns well from sponsorships and brand endorsements. He recently extended his contracts with sports equipment company Bridgestone Golf and with footwear company Skechers.

Matt can often be seen wearing Bridgestone apparel and carrying their equipment along with Skechers shoes on the golf course. Thus, it is enough to say that he lives a comfortable and lavish life. 

He lives in a villa in Georgia with his family that was worth $2.3 million in 2010. It is a beautiful property that faces the oceans and is worth over $3 million by now. 

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Matt Kuchar | Social Media Presence

Kuch is not very active when it comes to social media. Nevertheless, he does have an Instagram handle with 44 thousand followers. 

However, he hasn’t used his account since 2016. Besides that, he doesn’t have a Twitter handle either. 

So, we can say that he is not on social media at all. However, before his complete absence from Instagram, he had posted a few pictures of him with his friends and colleagues playing on the golf course. 

Furthermore, there are a few pictures of him at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where he won the bronze medal in golf. Likewise, he has shared some posts with his adorable sons and beautiful wife in it. 

Matt Kuchar | FAQs

Why is Matt Kuchar not playing?

The golfer is not playing due to an injury. However, he recently withdrew from the Memorial golf tournament, citing a left forearm injury. 

Furthermore, he had mentioned forearm pain since round 1 of the tournament. However, Kuchar is well recovered and back on the golf course now. 

Who is Matt Kuchar’s caddie?

Matt Kuchar’s caddie was John Woods with whom he recently parted ways. The golfer explained that Woods desired to have a career in the TV led them to go separate ways. 

John is going to work as a reporter for NBC and Golf Channel. Besides that, Kuchar is planning to have a veteran caddie, Brian Reed, with him.

Did Matt Kuchar ever pay his caddie?

In 2018, Kuchar was in the midst of a controversy with his caddie that received much media attention. After winning the Mayakoba Golf Classic in 2018, Matt claimed the prize money worth $1.296 million. 

However, he paid his caddie, David ‘El Tucan’ Ortiz, less than 1%, i.e., $5 thousand when 10% is the average payout for a caddie whose golfer wins the tournament. Ortiz was filling in as a caddie for Matt as his regular caddie was not available. 

When the news broke out about his less than 1% payout, many media outlets and fans called him out on his behavior. Nevertheless, Kuch was less than bothered and defended his actions saying,

For a guy who makes $200 a day, a $5,000 week is a really big week. I certainly don’t lose any sleep over this.”

Matt Kuchar With His Caddie At The Mayakoba Golf Classic
Matt Kuchar With His Caddie, David Ortiz, At The Mayakoba Golf Classic

His comments only resulted in more media outrage. Moreover, Mayakoba Golf Course’s director of golf, David Lopez, contacted Matt’s agent and told him the golfer’s comments and what happened was wrong. 

Moreover, Lopez added that they would pay Ortiz what he deserved had Kuchar not stepped up and did the right thing. Hence, after four months following his win, Matt apologized for his behavior and paid his caddie $50,000.

Furthermore, the golfer called himself stubborn and hard-headed for not doing the right thing in the first place.

Besides that, Ortiz said that he has no hard feelings against Kuchar, whom he claims to be a nice man that treated him very well.

What major did Matt Kuchar win?

Kuchar won The Players Championship in 2012, which was the biggest tournament win of his career.

Urusha Niroula
Urusha Niroulahttps://playersbio.com/
My name is Urusha Niroula. I have been working as a writer at Playersbio.com since September 2020. I have always had a great fondness for English writing, speaking, and reading. Furthermore, my hobbies include going on walks and short rides, watching Netflix, and sometimes sitting idly.

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