Matt Kuchar avoided the big mistakes that slowed so many other contenders to close with a 2-under 70 for a two-shot victory at The Players Championship on Sunday.
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 on the TPC Sawgrass. 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.
"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.