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The PNC Championship trophies are on display on the 18th green at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club on December 17, 2023.
The 2025 PNC Championship in Orlando, Florida, delivered more than emotional moments and memorable family pairings; it also offered a meaningful payday for the 20 teams that competed in the annual parent-child scramble event. Held at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, the tournament wrapped up with a total purse of $1.085 million, with the winning duo taking home a $200,000 payout.
This year’s payout structure reflects the tradition of rewarding the best teams while recognizing that every participant who completes the two rounds earns a share of the prize pool.
Breakdown of Payouts by Finishing Position
Here’s a look at how the money was distributed among the teams, based on finishing position:
FINISH
PLAYERS
EARNINGS
1
Team Kuchar
$200,000
T2
Team Love
$68,625
T2
Team Daly
$68,625
T4
Team Korda
$49,500
T4
Team Stricker
$49,500
6
Team Duval
$48,000
T7
Team Harrington
$46,000
T7
Team Langer
$46,000
T7
Team Leonard
$46,000
T10
Team Singh
$44,250
T10
Team Woodland
$44,250
12
Team Cink
$43,500
13
Team Lehman
$43,000
T14
Team Price
$42,250
T14
Team Couples
$42,250
T16
Team Trevino
$41,250
T16
Team Immelman
$41,250
18
Team Annika
$40,500
19
Team Furyk
$40,250
20
Team O’Meara
$40,000
A Runaway Weekend at the Ritz-Carlton
From the opening hole, it was clear the Kuchars were in control. Cameron Kuchar, who has signed to play collegiate golf at TCU, set the tone early by birdieing the first hole, while his father, Matt, followed shortly after with a hybrid shot to 12 feet for eagle on the par-5 third. What followed was a relentless display of scoring in the scramble format that left the rest of the field chasing from the outset.
Over two rounds, Team Kuchar made just two pars, offset by two eagles, and steadily built a lead that quickly became insurmountable. Their final total of 33-under 111 shattered the previous tournament scoring record by five strokes, turning the final stretch into a formality rather than a finish in doubt.
While the title race lacked suspense, the weekend still delivered memorable moments across the leaderboard. Lee Trevino provided one of the highlights of the tournament when the 86-year-old legend holed out from the fairway with a lob wedge for eagle on the par-4 13th hole, drawing one of the loudest reactions of the event.
Behind the Kuchars, the battle for second place offered some late drama. John Daly and John Daly II, a senior at Arkansas and the reigning Southern Amateur champion, closed with a 59, punctuated by an eagle on the final hole. That score tied them with Davis Love III and Dru Love, who posted a 58, while Nelly Korda and her father, Petr, finished one shot back alongside Steve Stricker and his daughter, Izzi.
Even so, no one was under the illusion that the lead could be erased. As teams checked the scoreboards heading in, it was clear the Kuchars were untouchable. Former major champion David Duval summed it up succinctly: “If they end up getting to 30 [under], you’re talking about only six holes missed in 36 holes. That’s remarkable.”
Honoring the Influence of Peter Kuchar
The emotional significance of the weekend was deeply tied to the memory of Peter Kuchar, Matt’s father, whose presence loomed large throughout his son’s career. Long before the PNC Championship became a family tradition for the Kuchars, Peter was a competitive athlete in his own right, once ranked as the top doubles tennis player in Florida. His influence extended naturally into golf, where he became a familiar and respected figure alongside his son.
Peter first stepped into the national golf spotlight in 1997, when he caddied for Matt during his victory at the U.S. Amateur. The following year, he was again by Matt’s side when his son finished as low amateur at both the Masters and the U.S. Open, moments that helped launch Matt’s professional career and established Peter as a steady presence during some of golf’s biggest stages.
That role eventually evolved into something even more personal. Peter later competed alongside Matt at the PNC Championship, sharing the course as father and son before ultimately passing that tradition on to Matt’s children.
Peter passed away on February 4 after suffering a heart attack while swimming during a Caribbean cruise with his wife, Meg, taken to celebrate her birthday. His death added an unmistakable emotional layer to the 2025 PNC Championship, transforming the victory into not just a record-setting performance, but a tribute to the man who helped shape Matt’s journey in the game.
“I don’t know if you believe in karma, if you believe in fate, whatever you believe in, there’s something magical that does exist,” Matt said. “I’m a believer in God that Dad is up above looking down, and what happened on 18, I could hardly stand up and hit a shot. For me to hit it to a foot, makes me think there’s something more out there. Just miss Pops.”
Alyssa Polczynski Alyssa Polczynski is a multimedia journalist covering Major League Baseball for Heavy.com. She has experience as an editorial producer for MLB.com and contributed to the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). More about Alyssa Polczynski
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