Nostalgia is hitting Matt Kuchar. His partnership with Harris English from the Shark Shootout helped him unlock the same rhythm with his son, Cameron Kuchar, at the PNC Championship.

“It’s a really fun format for me. I picked a good partner at the Shark Shootout years ago with Harris English, who hit it way by me, and I got to hit a lot of short irons in,” Kuchar said in a post-round presser.

Matt sensed this playing bond with his son, Cameron, as well. His drive and 15 birdies in 18 holes are very reflective of English’s stint. On the first hole, Cameron “drilled a driver” and then hit a “wedge to a foot” to get a birdie. This style matches the heavy driving distance Kuchar experienced with Harris English. Similarly, Cameron’s play allowed Kuchar’s short game to become more valuable to their scoring.

“Cam is playing great golf,” Matt Kuchar shares. “I feel like I certainly can offer some help when he drives, with being able to hit some short irons and wedges and having chances to really have good looks at birdies.”

Kuchar knows the drill because he’s seen this film before. The Shark Shootout, now known as the Franklin Templeton Shootout, is where English and Kuchar paired up several times. Racking up victories, the two were quite dominant in their approach. Their first victory at the inaugural (2013) saw a record-breaking 34-under 182. Three years later (2016), they repeated the same.

English, standing at 6’3″, made an astounding eagle on the par-5 17th with an 8-iron. A one-stroke lead over Steve Stricker & Jerry Kelly gave them their second victory at the event. Their third and last victory in 2020 made them the only pair to win the event three times. The credit, as Kuchar says, goes to Harris English.

“It was a fairly challenging day. But for Harris to come through and eagle 17 and give us that one-shot lead,” Kuchar told the PGA Tour post their match.

English was the anchor that gave a strategic meaning to their partnership. As he had an exceptional driving distance (290+), their approach opportunity increased. Kuchar, an already elite wedge player, got shorter shots to make than usual. Kuchar will keep the lesson with him from all those years ago as he and his son have a 2-shot advantage over Team Daly, but it won’t be easy to win.

Top Stories

Tiger Woods & Charlie Woods Paid Special Homage by Annika Sorenstam’s Son at PNC Championship

Gary Woodland’s Father Chokes Back Tears Over Moving Gesture at PNC Championship

Tiger Woods’ GF Receives Emotional Message from Daughter Kai Trump After Turning 48

Amanda Balionis Has Strong Reaction as Top PGA Tour Analyst Exits Golf Channel for Rival Network

Scottie Scheffler Delivers Bad News to Tiger Woods After Sparking TGL Rumors

Danger looms large on the Kuchars

Sunday’s chasing pack is an immediate threat to Matt and Cameron Kuchar. The most direct comes from John Daly and John Daly II, who are just two shots behind. Within a few holes, they can flip the entire momentum.

Team Daly has opened with 13-under 59, with Junior Daly being exceptional under pressure. The most notable was an 8-iron from 190 yards to 10 feet on the closing par-5. The Dalys have won the tournament before, defeating Tiger Woods and Charlie Woods. This means they know how to close the score on Sunday. A quick reach to -15 or -16 under will take the game away from the Kuchars.

A different kind of threat sits a little farther: the Langers. The most dominant on the field, with the leading winner of all time, Bernhard Langer, and his son Jason, have tasted victory four times. Bernhard Langer, himself, has won it six times with a different partner.

The Kuchars’ blueprint will work only if Cameron continues to provide elite drives and Matt comfortably converts the short range. All while defending their lead. Any regression, and a punishment will be imminent.