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KucharGate is finished.
Matt Kuchar, undoubtedly the nicest boy on the PGA Tour, has found himself in a hellish mess over the past few weeks when he learned that he had paid only David Ortiz, his add-on shopping cart, a fraction of the usual price. fresh after a victory at the Mayakoba Classic in November. Friday at the Genesis Open, Kuchar, who had been criticized for the move and subsequent statements, apologized and pledged to pay the entire cart.
"I let myself down, my family, my partners, and my loved ones, but I also let down David," Kuchar said in a statement. "I plan to call David [Friday night] when I am off the course to apologize for the situation that has been engaged, and that I have made sure that he gets the total amount that he asked for. "
What happened with Kuchar and the caddy?
Kuchar won $ 1.3 million for his Mayakoba victory. He hired Ortiz, a cadet with local knowledge of the course, as Kuchar's regular cadet was unable to make the trip. Kuchar and Ortiz signed a $ 4,000 deal if Kuchar was ranked in the top 10, and that's what Kuchar paid, plus a $ 1,000 bonus after the win … so that ordinary caddies get 10% of the winnings of the tournament.
Kuchar added to the controversy by making comments suggesting that the amount he had paid to Ortiz was "fair". For some critics, it smelled of privilege and insensitivity, two traits that are not rare on tour but that Kuchar generally does not respect. display.
"The extra $ 1,000 was:" Thank you, it was a great week, "said Kuchar at Golf.com on Wednesday. "These are the terms. He agreed with these terms. This is where I fight. I do not know what happened. Someone had to say, "You need a lot more".
Why did Kuchar change his mind?
On Friday, faced with intense criticism and no support from his teammates, Kuchar picked up the words. "This week, I made disconnected and insensitive comments, which aggravated the situation," said Kuchar. "They made me believe that I was marginalizing David Ortiz and his financial situation, which was not my intention. I read them again and trembling. This is not what I am and what I want to represent. All my career in the tour, I tried to show respect and positivity. In this situation, I did not live up to these values and the expectations I had set for myself. "
Kuchar originally offered another $ 15,000 bonus. Ortiz had asked for $ 45,000 more, for a total of $ 50,000, or just under 4% of Kuchar's earnings. "Matt is a good person and a great player," Ortiz told Golf.com this week. "He treated me very well. I am only disappointed with the way everything is done.
But now, it seems that the file is closed. "I've never wanted to bring negativity to the Mayakoba Golf Classic," Kuchar said. "I feel I have a duty to represent the tournament well. I am donating to the event, which will be distributed to the many philanthropic causes that have a positive impact on the communities of Playa del Carmen and Cancún. I would like to apologize to my fans, as well as fans of the game, for not representing the values instilled by this incredible sport. Golf is a game where we call sanctions on ourselves. I should have done it a long time ago and not let this situation get worse. "
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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at [email protected] or find him on Twitter or on Facebook.
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