Rory McIlroy's brutal 9-word dig at Matt Kuchar speaks volumes after PGA Tour controversy

Matt Kuchar, who recently refused to play the final hole of the Wyndham Championship , was previously called out by Rory McIlroy in 2019 over a different controversy.

Kuchar had faced backlash from golf fans when it came to light that he paid his caddie, David "El Tucan" Ortiz, a mere $5,000 after winning the Mayakoba Golf Classic, which had a first-place prize of $1.296 million. Adding fuel to the fire, Kuchar showed little regret for the low payout, telling Golf Channel: "I certainly don't lose sleep over this.

"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."

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In an official statement from the PGA Tour, Kuchar tried to backtrack on his previous comments, promising to rectify the situation with Ortiz, who had hoped to receive $50,000 for his services. The Florida-born golfer agreed to pay the full amount requested and also pledged to donate an undisclosed sum to the Mayakoba tournament to support "philanthropic causes" in Mexico.

Despite his attempts to smooth things over, Kuchar couldn't dodge a sharp jab from McIlroy. At the Wyndham Rewards ceremony months later, Kuchar shared that McIlroy's lead cost him $300,000 in the season race, prompting McIlroy to quip: "And we all know what money means to him."

Kuchar responded to the stinging remark with good humor, laughing along as the audience erupted in laughter. Yet, five years on, McIlroy's words have gained an ironic twist and once again seem applicable after the latest Kuchar controversy

As the sun set on Sunday's game, Kuchar, in the last group at the Wyndham Championship with Max Greyserman and Chad Ramey, chose not to take his second shot on the final hole. This was especially odd given that he was not in the running for the win, tied for 12th at 11-under.

Social media had little sympathy for Kuchar's unusual choice, pointing out that he hardly needed the extra cash after raking in nearly $60 million during his two-decade PGA Tour career.

"The difference between a 10-way for 12th and a seven-way tie for 21st is ~$58,000," noted Kyle Porter of CBS Sports on Twitter. "Matt Kuchar has made $59.8 million in his career. Cannot believe I'm typing any of these words."