Matt Kuchar courts more controversy at European Open in Hamburg

Matt Kuchar has been making headlines for the wrong reasons.
After finishing the next day over par the American missed the cut at the Porsche European Open at Hamburg.
However, the biggest talking point came after Kuchar discovered himself in a bunker. A rule change for 2019 enables gamers to remove impediments and obstructions without receiving a penalty, so long as the ball’s position does not improve.
However, by eliminating one impediment that was loose following another Kuchar seemed to bend that rule.
“He is doing it very quickly because what he has been told is he can move the bigger pieces. But he’s moving everything,” one television commentator remarked.
“Just make him a spade.”
Controversy has tended to follow around Kuchar . Below are a few of the others…
Kuchar became embroiled in a protracted rules debate over the 17th hole at the Memorial Tournament after his drive bounced onto the fairway and into an old pitch markers.
But the 41-year-old attempted to convince PGA Tour rules officials which the ball had landed in its own pitch mark.
Kuchar could have been in a position to transfer his ball had the mark.
After a lengthy conversation, which comprised looking back at TV replays, Kuchar didn’t get the response he was searching for – so he asked for one more officer to take a look.
The second official ruled against Kuchar, forcing him and his shot to play with from its landing spot. He also found that the back of the par.
Rewind to the WGC Match Play and Sergio Garcia lost his cool to Kuchar through a quarter-final defeat.
The Spaniard, who was conquered on 2up by Kuchar in Austin Country Club, failed to convert a birdie attempt before picking his ball up and missing a second putt from inside a foot.
Kuchar insisted that he had not conceded before Garcia putt, meaning that his opponent was subject to a reduction of the hole and a stroke penalty.
Garcia was obviously furious with the conclusion and also vented his opinions into Kuchar on the next hole, where he swished his putter in anger after falling behind with a missed par-save.
“Kuchar played his now familiar’I’ve done nothing wrong’ picture,” Sky Sports’ David Livingstone said.
“Garcia, as usual, turned into a whiny, angry, badly-behaved child”
Kuchar was made to make a grovelling apology in February after committing a caddie $5,000 after his victory at the Mayakoba Golf Classic the prior November.
Usually, a caddie is going to be paid 10 per cent of the players’ earnings after asserting his first PGA Tour win at 34, and $ 1,296,000 gathered.
He had neighborhood caddie David”El Tucan” Ortiz about the tote in Mexico instead of regular caddie John Wood and had already agreed a charge before the championship.
Kuchar initially claimed”earning $5,000 is an excellent week” and provided Ortiz an additional $15,000 – that was refused – if the story became public.
He then apologised, admitting his comments have been”out of ignorance and touch, which makes a bad situation worse”, and agreed to pay Ortiz a documented $50,000 while also making a substantial donation to the charities involved in the Mayakoba Golf Classic.

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