He continued to defend his decision, maintaining: "This is something that I'm quite happy with, and I was really happy for him to have a great week and make a good sum of money. Making $5,000 is a great week."
The controversy didn't end there, though. The PGA Tour reported that Kuchar realized his blunder and pledged to compensate Ortiz the previously anticipated $50,000.
Additionally, he vowed to donate a secret amount towards charity initiatives linked to the Mayakoba event.
However, Rory McIlroy couldn't resist taking a dig at Kuchar during the Wyndham Rewards ceremony, suggesting Kuchar's stinginess with money. When Kuchar lamented about losing $300,000 due to McIlroy's lead, McIlroy quickly snapped back with a sarcastic comment indicative of his knowledge of Kuchar's attitude towards cash: "And we all know what money means to him."
Kuchar took the sharp jibe in stride, chuckling as the crowd burst into laughter. However, five years later, McIlroy's comment has taken on an ironic twist and seems relevant once more following Kuchar's recent controversy.
As Sunday's match drew to a close, Kuchar, who was in the final group at the Wyndham Championship alongside Max Greyserman and Chad Ramey, opted not to play his second shot on the last hole. This decision was particularly puzzling since he wasn't in contention for the win, being tied for 12th at 11-under.
The Twitterverse showed little compassion for Kuchar's peculiar decision, highlighting that his financial situation hardly warranted the need for additional prize money after earning almost $60 million over his two decades on the PGA Tour.
Kyle Porter from CBS Sports pointed out on Twitter: "The difference between a 10-way for 12th and a seven-way tie for 21st is ~$58,000," adding, "Matt Kuchar has made $59.8 million in his career. Cannot believe I'm typing any of these words."
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