The Players Championship 2012: Matt Kuchar Wins To Earn Fourth PGA Tour Victory

With the yakkers on Boston sports radio stations continuing to obsess about Josh Beckett’s recent golf outing (as only Red Sox fans and pundits can do), and the pitcher himself morphing into this season’s version of bullpen buddy John Lackey, what a refreshing change of pace it was to witness Matt Kuchar’s victory Sunday at The Players Championship.

Unlike Beckett, his unlikeable teammate Lackey, and so many other professional athletes who snarl at reporters, appear put out by fans seeking a few moments of their heroes’ precious time, and complain bitterly about their multi-million-dollar day jobs, Kuchar actually seems to enjoy what he does for a living. The four-time PGA Tour winner even credits his parents for raising him with the ability to withstand the vagaries of a career in which you’re hoisting a trophy one week and missing the cut the next.

Matt Kuchar jumped 11 spots in this week’s Official World Golf Rankings, coming in at No. 5 overall after winning the 2012 Players Championship. Kuchar won the tournament with help from a Martin Laird bogey on the 72nd hole. The 33-year-old also jumped into the Top 10 of the FedEx Cup Standings.

The first four spots atop the rankings remain unchanged. Rory McIlroy is still in first place after bumping Luke Donald from the top spot with a win at the 2012 Wells Fargo Championship two weekends ago. Hunter Mahan moves down to sixth place to accommodate Kuchar, and Webb Simpson fell to No. 11 overall.

Yes, Kevin Na is one of the slowest players on the PGA Tour. And, yes, his pre-shot routine can make even the most tolerant of seasoned watchers whip a few dozen Pro V1s through their TV screens in the time it takes the 28-year-old to wiggle, waggle, squirm, back off, and fuss before taking a swipe at his golf ball.

But the reprehensible way so-called “fans” treated the struggling one-time tour winner during The Players Championship finale on Sunday was far more outrageous and deserving of censure than a guy turtling his way around a golf course. While some observers believe Tiger Woods and his tour brethren should just get used to cameras clicking on their back swings and other ambient noise (like the jeers and raspberries emanating from the bleacher creatures on the 16th hole at the Phoenix Open; hey, at least that’s non-partisan heckling), even they would likely view Sunday’s demonstration of ill will more suited for a hated football rival than a competitor in a golf match.

Kevin Na’s meticulous (even frustratingly annoying) pre-shot routine at The Players Championship had everyone debating the problem of slow play on the PGA Tour, so Tiger Woods offered an approach to speed up the turtles.

“Very simple,” Woods told reporters after finishing in a share of 40th at TPC Sawgrass. “If you get a warning, you get a penalty.”

Really can’t blame an announcer -- and I’m not sure which one it was, to be honest -- to drop an s-bomb after Kevin Na hit a 240-yard approach off the cart path and onto the green on Sunday at The Players Championship. Na was stuck in a bad spot, even if it was more desirable than the side-hill lie he took a free drop from. He purposely placed his ball on the asphalt cart path, prioritizing a flat lie over his clubs and perhaps well-being.

He pulled it off and made it look easy. Not only did he manage to put his ball back into play, he put it on the green. The crowd roared, the announcers stammered in disbelief and one of the on-air personalities said “shit”

Following his victory at The Players Championship on Sunday, Matt Kuchar has jumped into the top 10 of the FedEx Cup standings.

Earning 600 points with the win, Kuchar moved up 22 slots to sixth place, sitting just 13 points behind Carl Pettersson.

Kevin Na has been the target of everyone’s jokes on Sunday. He fell apart after a strong three days, finishing his final round with a 76. It was bad, and probably cost him a lot of money. Oh, and he was heckled by an angry crowd along the way.

This, however, was awesome. Na, who’s been suffering from the yips recently, hit his tee shot way right on 18. He got relief and was able to take a drop because his stance was on the cart path. So he dropped his ball on the cart path, on purpose. Why, you ask? A flat lie, of course.

Your 2012 The Players Championship winner is Matt Kuchar, who finished the tournament 13 under par to earn a two-stroke victory.

It’s Kuchar’s first PGA Tour win since the 2010 Barclays.

I feel for Kevin Na. It’s not like he’s trying to slow play. It’s not like he means to take a dozen waggles and false start his swing a few times. It can be annoying to watch, sure, but he’s really just struggling and fighting himself while standing over the golf ball.

But that’s no excuse for the gallery to heckle the living hell out of him at The Players Championship. He’s been frustrating this week and his antics have drawn attention, but they’re not really hurting anyone.

Matt Kuchar has played nearly mistake-free golf this afternoon, as he leads The Players Championship by two strokes with three holes to play.

Martin Laird, who shot a 67 this afternoon, has been sitting in the clubhouse for roughly 30 minutes now at -11, waiting for Kuchar to make a mistake and come back to the Scottish golfer.

Entering today’s final round of The Players Championship as the leader, American Kevin Na is having a rough go of it today, and the tournament’s gallery is letting him have it.

The chants were picked up clearly after Na drenched his ball on the par-3 13th hole, which resulted in his sixth bogey of the day.

Kevin Na entered Sunday at The Players Championship at Sawgrass with a nice lead and extended it early, but he’s stumbled a bit close to the turn and now finds himself three strokes behind the leader, Matt Kuchar. Kuchar now sits at -12 through 10 holes.

The real story of the afternoon has been the charge of Scot Martin Laird, however. He made five birdies in six holes around the turn to briefly tie Kuchar for the lead before bogeying 14. Right with him is Zach Johnson at -10 through 13 holes, and Luke Donald, who tore up the course for a six-under round and is sitting in the clubhouse at -9. Na and Rickie Fowler, who birdied two of his first four holes before doubling on hole 5 (and hasn’t birdied since), join Donald and nine under.

The final pairing is on the course at TPC Sawgrass, and leader Kevin Na has extended the margin to two shots through the first three holes. Na is 13-under after getting a birdie on the par-5 second, while Matt Kuchar is off to a disappointing start. Kuchar bogeyed the first and then, unlike Na, he failed to capitalize on a good birdie opportunity at the second, opening his round with two 5s. He saved par at No. 3 with a lengthy putt that used all of the cup before dropping in for the three.

Rickie Fowler, who’s looking to go back-to-back after getting his first career win last week in Charlotte, birdied two of the first four holes to take sole possession of second place at 11-under. He drained a lengthy putt with severe break on No. 4, rattling the back of the cup to provoke a loud roar. One-time leader Zach Johnson has had a roller-coaster start, going eagle-bogey-birdie on holes two through four. He’s at 9-under and four shots back of Na.

As the final round of the 2012 Players Championship is underway, the three men atop Sunday’s leaderboard all have a strong chance of winning the biggest event of their respective careers. What is even more interesting for Kevin Na, Matt Kuchar, and Rickie Fowler is what a victory today could mean for their immediate future on the PGA Tour.

Kevin Na has been a winner on tour in the past -- notably at last year’s Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospital for Children Open -- but hasn’t had much luck prior to or since that victory in 2011. Na is perhaps better known for his characteristically-slow playing style, which has made him the butt of many jokes and the scorn of tournament officials and playing partners. Then, of course, there was that time when he had some tree trouble in San Antonio. A win for him this week at The Players Championship would erase the negative stigma often associated with Kevin Na, if at least for a little while.

Tiger Woods shot a four-under 68 in the second round of The Players Championship at Sawgrass, prompting anticipation about his ability to make a run for the trophy over the weekend. But after shooting an even-par 72 on Saturday, he finds himself 10 strokes behind 54-hole leader Kevin Na.

As Woods seemingly always says after rounds, he was happy with how he played, even though it didn’t manifest in a low score. “I played well today and didn’t get anything out of that round,” he said. “It was probably the most solid I’ve hit the golf ball all year actually. Even though I hit a couple off‑line, but they were just hit dead‑flush. I just got nothing out of the round.”

If Kevin Na’s pace of play on Saturday (and, really, any other day) was any indication, Matt Kuchar may be in for a long afternoon in Sunday’s finale of The Players Championship. One stroke back of Na’s 12-under lead heading into the final round at TPC Sawgrass, Kuchar drew the metaphorical short straw and ended up with Na as his playing partner.

“In the locker room or in the trailer, guys will be like, ‘I’ve got to play with you today, I’ve got the short straw,’” Na joked with reporters after firing a 4-under 68 to maintain the advantage he shared with Kuchar and Zach Johnson after 36 holes. “They mean it to a certain point, and to a certain point they’re kidding.”

Kevin Na has the lead going into Sunday’s final round at TPC Sawgrass, so he’ll be paired in the last round with Matt Kuchar, who is only a stroke back. Here’s the rest of the tee times and pairings for Round 4 at the Players Championship:

8:45 a.m.: Stewart Cink, George McNeill

8:55 a.m.: Rod Pampling, Heath Slocum

9:05 a.m.: David Hearn, Cameron Tringale

9:15 a.m.: Robert Karlsson, Jason Dufner

9:25 a.m.: Robert Allenby, Graham DeLaet

9:35 a.m.: Josh Teater, Justin Rose

9:45 a.m.: J.J. Henry, Bob Estes

9:55 a.m.: Nick Watney, Brian Harman

10:05 a.m.: Harris English, Justin Leonard

10:15 a.m.: Keegan Bradley, Ryan Moore

10:25 a.m.: David Toms, Marc Leishman

10:35 a.m.: Alvaro Quiros, Trevor Immelman

10:45 a.m.: Lee Westwood, Chris Kirk

10:55 a.m.: Sung Kang, Ricky Barnes

11:05 a.m.: Peter Hanson, Kris Blanks

11:15 a.m.: Tom Gillis, Michael Thompson

11:25 a.m.: Tiger Woods, Jim Furyk

11:35 a.m.: Chris Couch, Spencer Levin

11:45 a.m.: Pat Perez, Brian Gay

11:55 a.m.: Bill Haas, Bryce Molder am

12:05 p.m.: John Huh, Luke Donald

12:15 p.m.: Geoff Ogilvy, Henrik Stenson

12:25 p.m.: Harrison Frazar, John Rollins

12:35 p.m.: Kevin Stadler, Adam Scott

12:45 p.m.: Brendon de Jonge, Kevin Streelman

12:55 p.m.: Tim Clark, Jimmy Walker

1:06 p.m.: Jeff Maggert, Ian Poulter

1:17 p.m.: Phil Mickelson, Martin Kaymer

1:28 p.m.: David Mathis, Carl Pettersson

1:39 p.m.: Charlie Wi, Sergio Garcia

1:50 p.m.: Bo Van Pelt, Blake Adams

2:01 p.m.: Martin Laird, Johnson Wagner

2:12 p.m.: Brian Davis, Jonathan Byrd

2:23 p.m.: Zach Johnson, Jhonattan Vegas

2:34 p.m.: Rickie Fowler, Ben Curtis

2:45 p.m.: Kevin Na, Matt Kuchar

Kevin Na is playing well this week and holds the 54-hole lead at The Players Championship, which makes this even more weird. On Saturday, he was put on the clock, a product of his slow play. It’s not like he was just taking his sweet time for no reason, though; Na has hit a mental block, especially off the tee.

This is a common thing in golf, but it usually accompanies a period of poor play. The mind starts to play tricks on the player, and swinging becomes incredibly difficult. Not necessarily the physical act, mind you. The mental aspect of it all. It’s like being stuck.

A round with no bogeys has Kevin Na one up on Matt Kuchar at 12-under going into the final round at Sawgrass.

Kuchar had a one-stroke lead on Na coming to the signature 17th hole, but he struck his tee shot a bit fat and ended up splashing about five yards short of the island. He recovered with a shot that left him about eight feet from the hole for bogey, but that was enough to see him tied with Na. Na capitalized by parring the 17th and birdieing on the concluding 18th hole.

As he approaches Sawgrass’ difficult finish in Round 3, Matt Kuchar has a one-stroke lead on Kevin Na.

Kuchar isn’t playing terribly consistent golf -- he doesn’t have a par on the back nine, alternating between birdies and bogeys since -- but he’s consistently sliced strokes off his lead, sitting at 3-under on the day with a -11. Kuchar barely missed a long putt on 14 for bogey, but bounced back with a three on 15. Na missed an opportunity to score by leaving a putt literally an inch short on 14. He’s only two under on the day, but hasn’t bogeyed yet.

Do you get the first-tee jitters? Is standing over a golf ball for the first shot of the day a nerve-wracking experience? Does the start of your round at a local muni on a Saturday feel like standing over a putt to win a major championship?

I’m assuming Harris English feels your pain. English had been playing well at The Players Championship this week. In fact, he played himself into one of the final groups on Saturday at TPC Sawgrass. This would normally be a good thing.

Entering the back nine, a strong start to the day has Matt Kuchar one clear of the field at 10-under as the third round at Sawgrass plays itself out.

Rickie Fowler followed up on his first PGA Tour win last week with a very strong round, entering the clubhouse at nine-under. Fowler, in his signature Puma hat and matching bright turquoise pants, was at seven-under before missing a four-foot putt on 18 for his first bogey of the day. He’s currently tied for second with Kevin Na, who is on 10.

At the beginning of his third round at the 2012 Players Championship, Rickie Fowler was faced with an option: show everyone that his first-career PGA TOUR tournament win last week wasn’t a fluke, or do the exact opposite. By the completion of his third round, Fowler quite simply chose to express the former.

Fowler fired an impressive 6-under round of 66 to vault himself into a tie for second place at 9-under par overall. Matt Kuchar is the current leader at 11-under while Kevin Na joins Fowler in second.

Tiger Woods has put his third round in the books at the 2012 Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Florida. As has been usual lately, things did not come easily for Woods. On Saturday, he shot even par for the day and is now tied for 36th place at 2-under in the tournament.

Woods stayed even for most of the day before climbing all the way up to 2-over on the day with bogeys on holes 7 and 10. He was able to birdie on the 11th and 13th holes to get back to par in the round, but was unable to sink a handful of other birdie attempts.

The action is heating up on Saturday at TPC Sawgrass in Florida as the third round of the 2012 Players Championship continues.

Rickie Fowler has had a lights-out third round, currently at 5-under through 10 holes on Saturday and is now tied for the lead at 8-under, joining Zach Johnson, Matt Kuchar and Kevin Na. Also elbowing his way into the pack atop the leaderboard is Jonathan Byrd, who is 2-under through three holes to create a five-way tie for first.