“Matt Kuchar is a cheapskate!” That is predominantly the outcry against the long time professional golfer after his tournament win in last fall’s Mayakoba Golf Classic in Mexico.
Why am I, a Christian home school and theological blogger writing about Matt Kuchar? He is a Christian and I feel the need to defend my brother in Christ. For the record, I do not know Matt personally. The media and those taking to social media have found it necessary to demonize the pro golfer. Kuchar has been well known as one of the kindest players on the PGA tour commonly is at the top of the polls when the PGA puts out the annual results. So from the start you should know that Kuchar has a stellar reputation of being a stand up guy. I will do my best to lay out the current situation and the events that have come to pass recently. Let’s get to defending Matt Kuchar!
The Deal
Kuchar entered the Mayakoba Golf Classic at the last minute in November of 2018. His full time caddie, John Wood, was unable to make the trip. Kuchar elected to hire a caddie that worked at the club where the tournament was held. His name is David ‘El Tucan’ Ortiz. Before play began Kuchar and Ortiz discussed the compensation the caddie would receive for his services. The deal was made and both parties agreed on the terms. In an interview with golf.com Kuchar said he told Ortiz he would pay him $1,000 with a missed cut (playing 2 days and not 4), $2,000 if he made the cut, $3,000 if he had a top-20 finish and $4,000 if he had a top-10. Kuchar stated:
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.
The Outcome
Kuchar won the tournament and an elaborate 1.3 million dollar purse. He then proceeded to give Ortiz $5000 in cash. A full $1000 more than initially agreed upon. Ortiz stated that he would make at best $200 on a good day at the club. That would be equivalent to $800 if he were to string 4 of those ‘good days’ together.
Many have concluded that he didn’t provide enough money to the caddie. Their reasoning is that typically caddies will receive 10% of the proceeds of any winning purse. This is one of the ‘unwritten rules’ of golf.
Apparently, Mr. Ortiz also felt this way. He reached out to Matt Kuchar’s agent, Marc Steinberg, with the following statement:
I am a humble man, who takes care of his family, and works hard. I am reaching out to you to see if you can facilitate me receiving a fair amount for my help with Matt winning $1,296,000. I am not looking to disparage Matt or give him a bad name. Fair is fair, and I feel like I was taken advantage of by placing my trust in Matt.
Wait, what?
Had Kuchar not paid him the amount agreed upon prior to the tournament? In fact, Kuchar paid him MORE than what the initial agreement called for. Kuchar honored his word as we are entrusted to do.
“Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give.”
Proverbs 25:14 (ESV)
False Portrayal
Not only did Matt Kuchar hold up his end of the agreement, but he actually paid the caddie above and beyond what was agreed upon. As Christians our word should be clear and definitive.
Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.
Matthew 5:37 (ESV)
Does not a handshake and a verbal agreement mean something? I contest that Mr. Ortiz should have brought this up before he made the deal. Not months after the fact which was the case. After all as an everyday caddie, would he not know that unwritten rule of a 10% take home of the overall winnings? This has been implied by anti-Kucharites in the aftermath. When asked about the situation in a golf channel.com interview Kuchar stated:
It’s kind of too bad that it’s turned into a story. I really didn’t think it was a story because we had an arrangement when I started…I’ve done enough tournaments and had enough weekly caddies, and I’m very clear about what the payment will be. And we had an arrangement Tuesday that David was OK with, and I thought Sunday he was very much OK with it.
Outside Influence
Kuchar had honestly felt that this was not even an issue. He had made an agreement and followed through. He went on to say:
I kind of feel like unfortunately some other people have got it in his head that he’s deserving something different than what we agreed upon…And it’s just too bad that it’s turned into a story, because it doesn’t need to be. We had a great week.
When pressed on the issue about whether or not he was fair with Mr. Ortiz Kuchar went on to say:
I feel like I was fair…You can’t make everybody happy. You’re not going to buy people’s ability to be OK with you, and this seems to be a social media issue more than anything. I think it shouldn’t be, knowing that there was a complete, agreed-upon deal that not only did I meet but exceeded.
Social Media Attack
I agree with Kuchar! This was a social media attack. Coming from others with their own opinion of what Matt Kuchar should have done with HIS money. That’s right, it was HIS money. He could have done anything he so desired with HIS winnings. He had made an agreement and followed through with that agreement. I am certain he would have also followed through with the agreement if he had not made the cut. If that would have been the case, Mr. Ortiz would have been more than satisfied. He would have brought home an exponential amount above and beyond two normal days of carrying the bag.
Is 10% an Absolute Necessity?
The battle cry is that Kuchar should have given Mr. Ortiz 10% of the winnings. This would have been roughly $130,000. Why would anyone be defending Matt Kuchar?
This reminds me of Christian leaders and pastors demanding 10% of the church members income each and every week equating this to Old Testament practices. This is far from the truth of what is New Testament Biblical tithing. I don’t have time to go into this arena but for specifics on tithing you can go here.
I understand that 10% is a common payment for tour players to their caddies. Their regular everyday caddies! Those that travel with, practice with, and make their complete living based on what their boss does week in and week out. It is a massive commitment! These caddies must learn the complete game of the owner of the bag they carry. They know how far the 8 iron will fly, how to calm the tour player down, and how to line up a putt based on the common positioning of the tour player. With all do respect for fill in caddies, they can’t do any of that in the way the full time caddie does. It is virtually impossible.
What I am saying is that the fill in caddie isn’t the same as the everyday caddie. It is impossible for them to bring to the table what the everyday caddie brings. That is just a fact.
The Aftermath
In the end Matt Kuchar reflected on the entire issue and released a statement through the PGA stating:
This week, I made comments that were out of touch and insensitive, making a bad situation worse. They made it seem like I was marginalizing David Ortiz and his financial situation, which was not my intention…I read them again and cringed. That is not who I am and not what I want to represent. My entire Tour career, I have tried to show respect and positivity. In this situation, I have not lived up to those values or to the expectations I’ve set for myself.
His everyday caddie, John Wood, also made a statement in defense of Kuchar:
“I don’t understand the need to tear down a guy who has spent his career trying to uphold the game and himself to some pretty high standards. Nobody’s perfect… To crucify for one mistake feels wrong.”
Kuchar went on to say he was going to give the requested $45,000 and call David Ortiz and apologize. He realized that the optics were not good. But he also undoubtedly knows the story was taken out of context and he was crucified on the altar of social media.
What To Learn
What do we learn from this? Sadly, a majority of those sounding off on this are claiming that Kuchar needed to pay up. He did pay up! He honored his agreement and then gave more after the pressure from the outside.
Sure he isn’t hurt at all financially by giving the 50K to the caddie. But when is an agreement and our word not good enough? When the world around us says it’s not? It’s easy for Bernie Sanders to give you the shirt off of my back. How easy is it for him to give you his shirt?
The next time I make an agreement with the kid next door to mow my lawn do I need to ask the world what I should pay? If the kid says he’ll take $20 when the lawn service is getting $75 am I under obligation to give more?
If I don’t then I have honored my agreement and my conscience is clear. If I do then I have given grace.
Mercy! Just as Christ has given to each and every one of us that believe in Him. We broke our deal in the garden (Romans 5:12), yet He still has mercy! Let us focus on honoring our word and Jesus Christ. Let the secular world move on.
By: Shawn Waugh
**Shawn (AKA Dr. Luke) is the host of the “Word For America” program heard weekly on 94.1 FM Lake City, Florida and www.graceliferadio.com
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2019