Matt Kuchar wins Mayakoba Golf Classic

Matt Kuchar held on to win the Mayakoba Golf Classic by a single shot from New Zealand’s Danny Lee at El Camaleon GC in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

Matt Kuchar wins Mayakoba Golf Classic

Matt Kuchar claimed his first PGA Tour title in more than four years, holding off New Zealand’s Danny Lee to win the Mayakoba Golf Classic by a single stroke.

Kuchar, who last won on the PGA Tour in the 2014 RBC Heritage at Hilton Head, led by four heading into the final round at El Camaleon GC. But his advantage was trimmed to just one as Danny Lee posted an excellent closing 65 and he stumbled on the back nine.

The 40-year-old dropped shots on the 14th and 15th holes and then had to hole clutch par putts on both the 17th and 18th greens to get over the line.

"I didn't want a 3-footer on the last hole," Kuchar said. "I was hoping to have a three or four-shot lead for some wiggle room. But man, that felt awfully good."

It was Kuchar’s eighth PGA Tour title and it will earn him a start in the Sentry Tournament of Champions at Kapalua in January. The win is a welcome return to form for the American who had not enjoyed a stellar 2018 to this point. He had just four top-10 finishes to his name on the PGA Tour and had failed to make the U.S. Ryder Cup team for the first time in 10 years.

"My 2018 wasn't what I wanted," Kuchar said. "This is a high note. It's an amazing thing to get a win.”

Danny Lee came closest to denying Kuchar the win and he finished alone in second, with J.J. Spaun and Richy Werenski tied for third.

It was a good week for comeback wins. Kuchar won for the first time in over four years, as did Lee Westwood on the European Tour – the Englishman took victory in the Nedbank Golf Challenge.

"Golf is such a funny game," Kuchar said. "It's hard to predict when it's going to come around."

Mayakoba Golf Classic El Camaleon GC, Playa del Carmen, Mexico 8-11 November Purse: $7,200,000 Par: 71

1 Matt Kuchar (USA) 64 64 65 69 262 $1,296,000 2 Danny Lee (NZL) 65 66 67 65 263 $777,600 T3 J.J. Spaun (USA) 69 65 65 66 265 $417,600 T3 Richy Werenski (USA) 65 66 67 67 265 $417,600 5 Brice Garnett (USA) 68 67 65 66 266 $288,000 T6 Jim Furyk (USA) 69 65 66 67 267 $233,100 T6 Pat Perez (USA) 66 67 67 67 267 $233,100 T6 Scott Piercy (USA) 67 68 70 62 267 $233,100 T6 Harold Varner III (USA) 65 69 68 65 267 $233,100

Note: Player score in bold signifies Titleist ball usage