Kuchar Celebrates Birthday With A Win At CVS

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Scott Cordischi, GoLocalProv Sports Editor

Heading into Tuesday’s final round of the 2011 CVS/Caremark Charity Classic it was a 3-horse race. The team of Matt Kuchar & Zach Johnson entered the final round with a 1-shot lead and were considered the slight favorites.

Just behind them were the defending champions Ricky Barnes and J.B. Holmes. Two shots off the pace was the tandem of Morgan Pressel and Davis Love III.

When the dust settled and the smoke cleared, Kuchar and Johnson took home the title in record-setting fashion. The talented twosome set a tournament record finishing the two day event at 24-under par besting the old mark by 1 shot.

For Kuchar, it was a special day in more ways than one. Not only did the PGA Tour star and his partner take home the first place prize of $300,000, it was also Kuchar’s 33rd birthday. The starter for the event (yours truly) acknowledged Kuchar’s birthday on the first tee and led the throng of fans surrounding the tee box to an off-key rendition of “Happy Birthday.”

“Thanks for that embarrassing moment,” joked Kuchar while his mother, father and paternal grandparents watched. He proceeded to hit a perfect drive right down the middle of the 379-yard par 4 first hole at Rhode Island Country Club on his way to birdying the hole.

The combination of Kuchar and Johnson’s great play overpowered the old Donald Ross course making birdies par for the course for the talented duo.

Pressel and Love III finished in second place just 2 shots back with Barnes and Holmes placing third three shots off the pace along with the team of David Toms and Camillo Villegas .

FINAL RESULTS:

1 Kuchar/Johnson    -24 F
2 Pressel/Love III    -22 F
T3 Villegas/Toms    -21 F
T3 Holmes/Barnes    -21 F
5 Faxon/Woodland    -20 F
6 Creamer/Snedeker -19 F
T7 Pettersen/Quigley -15 F
T7 Inkster/Jacobsen   -15 F
9 Andrade/Haas -12 F
10 Crenshaw/Vegas    -8 F

NOTES:

-Tournament co-host Brad Faxon and partner Gary Woodland finished at 20–under par. Fellow co-host Billy Andrade and his partner Bill Haas were 12–under for the tournament. Haas played in the event despite the fact that he was newly married just a week and a half ago.

-2-time Masters Champion Ben Crenshaw enjoyed his few days at Rhode Island Country Club. “This was just great,” he said. “When you look at the great players Brad and Billy have had here, it was just an honor to be asked to play in this event.” Crenshaw has fond memories of both Rhode Island and New England. He won the 1973 Northeast Amateur at Wannamoisett Country Club. He also captained the United States Ryder Cup team to the greatest comeback in the history of the event when the Americans rallied from 4-down on the final day to shock the Europeans at The Country Club in Brookline.

-All of the players were talking on the first tee Tuesday morning about the great performance Kid Rock put on at the gala at the Rhode Island Convention Center. Every year, CVS/Caremark brings in great entertainment for the gala. Past performers include Huey Lewis and the News, Hootie and the Blowfish and the Eagles. To a man (and woman), they all seemed to have a great time getting down to the signing of Kid Rock.

-With the money raised from this year’s event, the CVS/Caremark Charity Classic has now raised over 14 million dollars for local charities.

-We do know that there will be a 14th CVS/Caremark Charity Classic next year. This was year 2 of a 3-year contract between the tournament and Rhode Island Country Club. New CVS/Caremark CEO Larry Merlo seemed to indicate that as long as the tournament remains viable and is able to attract sponsors, top-notch players, fans and raise lots of money for local charities that it should continue.