Led The 146th Open at Royal Birkdale with five holes to play, but Jordan Spieth’s spectacular finish snatched away a first Major title from a player who has had four top eight finishes in the Masters since 2011 and seven further major top 10s, plus a bronze medal on golf’s return to the Olympics in 2016.
As US Amateur champion Kuchar came 21st in the 1998 Masters and 14th in the US Open, but three years after winning the 2002 Honda Classic he lost his PGA Tour card. He then fought his way back to become the circuit's leading money-winner in 2010 and reached the world's top 10 for the first time that season. He has been part of four Ryder Cup teams and four Presidents Cup sides and with Gary Woodland won the World Cup in 2011.
Now has nine PGA Tour titles, including The Players in 2012 and 2013 WGC-Accenture Match Play, while he was ranked as high as fourth in the world in 2013 and 2014. His latest success – after a 4 ½ -year gap – was the Sony Open in Hawaii in January, four months after he served as one of Davis Love’s vice-captains at the Ryder Cup.