Back in November, Kuchar won the Mayakoba Golf Classic his first tournament win in four years and the $1.3 million prize that came with it.
Carrying Kuchar's bag that weekend was David Ortiz, a local caddie nicknamed "El Tucan" who stepped in after Kuchar's regular looper was unavailable to work on short notice.
Since it's customary for golfers to tip out their caddies with roughly 10% of their earnings during a win, the weekend was thought to have been a $130,000 windfall for Ortiz.
Instead, Kuchar tipped out Ortiz just $5,000 for his work over the weekend $4,000 they had agree to before the tournament and a $1,000 bonus for the win earning scorn from the golfing world in the process.
According to Golf.com , Ortiz reached out to Kuchar in January, saying he believed his contribution to the win was worth $50,000 still far below the customary 10%. When Kuchar's camp countered with an offer of $15,000, Ortiz told them to keep their money.
Kuchar later defended himself , baffling those following the story by saying, "For a guy who makes $200 a day, a $5,000 week is a really big week."
As a former PGA caddie, Michael Collins explained on ESPN, it's clear Kuchar is in the wrong because no other pros have weighed in on his side of the matter.
"Keith heres the easiest answer I can give you," Collins said to ESPN's Keith Olbermann. "If Kuchar was in the right, how many PGA Tour pros are coming out defending what he did? Ill wait, and so will everyone else."
Collins went on to say that while a proper tip at the time would have earned endless praise for Kuchar, the matter might now be beyond his repair.
"A couple of players told me that if right after the tournament he writes the guy a check for $35,000 which is still less than 5% of a commission he would have been seen as a hero," Collins said. "Now most of the players and caddies I talk to have said $50,000 is the number, and one player said, even if he pays $50,000, [Kuchar] is still never going to live it down."
Kuchar was one of the most likable golfers on the tour, with a big smile and impressive strike.
There are few golfers on the planet easier to root for, which only makes the entire scenario more baffling no anecdote would fit better into the mythos of Kuchar than tipping a beloved local caddie named "El Tucan" a life-changing amount of money after helping him to his first win in years.
Instead, Kuchar's reputation is still taking hits, and likely will continue until he makes an effort to right his wrong. Next time you hear the cheers of "Kuuuuuuuuuuch" that usually accompany his swings, listen closer they might be actual boos.
