Cheap Is NOT A Good Look, “Kooch!”

Matt Kuchar is one of the most popular golfers among his peers on the PGA Tour.  And up until a couple of months ago, you could make the argument he was one of the most well-thought-of players by fans too.

Then, Mexico happened.

In November, "Kooch" competed in the Mayakoba Golf Classic, south of the border.  His regular caddy (John Wood) didn't/couldn't make the trip, so Matt employed the services of one, David “El Tucan” Ortiz, a local caddy.

And then he won.

He won $1.3 MILLION (not Pesos, kids, American Dinero).

El Tucan must have thought he won the lottery.  You see standard caddy fees on the PGA Tour are:  5-7% for a made cut, 10% for a top 10 finish, and somewhere between 10-15% for a win.

Last time I checked, $130,000 would make some ends meet in Mexico.

Ortiz made $5,000.

Kuchar's argument is the following, "I was very clear and very upfront on Tuesday [of the tournament week]. And he said, ‘OK.’ He had the ability, with bonuses, to make up to $4,000.”

Kuchar said he told Ortiz he would pay him $1,000 if he missed the cut, $2,000 if he made the cut, $3,000 if he had a top-20 and $4,000 if he had a top-10. “The extra $1,000 was, ‘Thank you — it was a great week.’"

It is because of this that Matt has said this week he remains perplexed by Ortiz's hurt feelings-played out in the media-over his perceived lack of compensation

Okay, I get that.  And it all sounds good on Tuesday.  BUT...on Sunday, after you win $1.3 million?  Should it not occur to you that, "WOW, I'm gonna look REALLY cheap here?"

To quote Caddyshack's Carl Spackler (Bill Murray), "Hey Lama...how 'bout a little something, you know, for the effort?"

The longer Kuchar lets this go on, the worse he and his fellow tour players (who already have a reputation as selfish, spoiled rich kids-all grown up) are going to look.

Kuchar tees it up at The Gensis Open at historic Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles this week.