Kuchar's Official World Golf Ranking has been in a steady decline, falling outside the top 75 for the first time since 2009. The 43-year-old is finally showing signs of his age having ranked a lowly 180th in strokes-gained off-the-tee last season and his only top-10 of the season came in the match play event. It's hard to imagine those numbers wouldn't show signs of improvement this season, but his days of being a top-20 player on tour are behind him.
Kuchar struggled during the 2017-18 season, but bounced-back nicely with over $6 million in earnings during the 2018-19 season. The 2019-20 was more like the former however as Kuchar never found any momentum. He posted a runner-up at the Genesis Invitational, but that was his only top 10 in his first 16 starts of the season. Kuchar will turn 43 this season and while he should improve on his numbers from this past season, his high-end might be more limited than it used to be.
Coming off his worst season in over a decade and on the wrong side of 40, there were concerns prior to this past season that Kuchar might be on the downside of his career. He put those concerns to rest early in the season however as he won twice before the month of February. Kuchar remained productive for the remainder of the season and although he trailed off towards the end, there's nothing bad to say about what he accomplished last season. As for this year, he set the bar way too high for salary cap purposes. Expect a regression this season, mostly because he played so well last year and can't possibly match that output again.
Is this the beginning of the end for Matt Kuchar? That's probably a bit premature, but after going through his worst season in a decade, it's fair to wonder if he's on the back end of his career on the PGA Tour. Apart from the decline in his numbers, Kuchar didn't look the part last season either. It's a completely subjective take, but Kuchar looked like his age caught up with him all at once last season. He also seemed to run out of gas on several occasions, getting off to a hot start, only to falter on the weekend. In all, it was just not a good season for Kuchar. As for this season, his number was set much lower than the production that we've become accustomed to, which makes him a viable salary cap option this season, but there's no guarantee that he'll bounce back to his old ways.
Kuchar is simply a model of consistency as he continues to produce at a high level, year in and year out. The one notable occurrence last season was his near-win at the Open Championship. It was certainly a heart breaker for Kuchar as he's rarely come so close in a major, but as long as he keeps playing at or near the level he's been at for the past decade, he'll have another shot at majors. Kuchar's best season came in 2013 when he earned more than $5.6 million, but he might not have that high of an upside anymore. As such, he's not a great salary cap pick and quite honestly, he never has been because he generally produces the same amount each season.
From 2010-2014, Kuchar was quite possibly the most consistent golfer on the PGA Tour. During those five years, he earned less than $4 million just once and peaked at $5.6 million in 2013. It appeared at that time as though Kuchar was destined to ascend to the top of the golfing world, but that ascension has yet to come. While he's still one of the better players on the PGA Tour, he's not likely to top $5 million in earnings again anytime soon. Kuchar has failed to find the winner's circle the past two seasons as well. Kuchar will likely play at high-level for the next few years, but the heights of that 5-year-run, appear to be out of his range now. As such, he's not a strong salary cap option this year, but he should go in the 2nd-round in draft leagues.
Good old steady Matt Kuchar. He's one of the most reliable players on the PGA Tour, but for those that had Kuchar on their team last year, he was a bit of a disappointment. It's hard to label anyone who made nearly $5 million in earnings a disappointment, but Kuchar is a former money-list and Fed Ex Cup champion, so the bar is set pretty high. There's no reason to think he'll regress in 2015 and we know his ceiling is much higher than $5 million, so he's a viable option in salary cap leagues this year. He's also a first-rounder in draft leagues.
Kuchar just keep plugging along. He's not the flashiest player on the PGA Tour, but year in and year out, he's always producing. Kuchar's ceiling is only limited by the fact that he's yet to win a major. He's got everything needed to win one, it just hasn't happened yet. Look for Kuchar to be more competitive at the majors in 2014 and for his totals to be near what they were last year. He's a legit number two pick in a draft format, but probably a bit too pricy in a salary cap format.
Amazingly, at just less than $4 million, Kuchar's earnings fell for the second consecutive season last year. That's not to say a trend is developing, though. Kuchar constantly seems on the brink of greatness, yet he just can't seem to take the next step. Considering he's been one of the best players on the PGA TOUR the last three years, you have to think that the next step for Kuchar is inevitable. If he takes that next step this season, he likely would show a significant increase in earnings, but that's a big if. As with any player with a number this large, there's an inherent risk, but Kuchar, unlike some others near the top 10, might be the right golfer on whom to take a chance. In draft leagues, Kuchar should go late first or early second round.
The 2010 money leader didn't quite live up to expectations in 2011. Yet another example of just how difficult it is to stay atop this game. Kuchar earned more than $4 million last year and barely made a blip on the radar. The fact that he earned that much without the benefit of a win is both positive and negative. Positive in that he had to play consistently well to earn as much without the benefit of a huge check through the season, but negative in that a player of Kuchar's caliber should be able to find a win somewhere on the schedule each season. Kuchar is not a good option in salary cap leagues this season, but he's definitely a first-rounder in draft formats.
Kuchar had a breakout 2010 season and the future looks bright, but for those in salary cap leagues, his number is awfully high. Don't expect much of an improvement on his 2010 numbers - if Kuchar can match them, it would be quite the feat. The $5 million club is reserved for the best of the best, and even though he topped the money list in 2010, don't expect a repeat performance in 2011. On the bright side, Kuchar does tee it up often. He played more than any other player in the top 10 last season, so he'll have his opportunities to bolster his numbers in 2011. Kuchar is not long off the tee, but he's solid in every other aspect of his game, including putting where he finished sixth on the PGA TOUR last season.
Is Kuchar ready to take the next step? He'll have to
improve his performance in the regular season if he's going to top his
numbers from 2009. Kuchar got fat on the fall season last year, which
is good for him, but it doesn't do fantasy players much good. His
late-season win should give him some added confidence entering this
season, but until he can step up his game during the first eight
months of the year, he's not worthy of being in this spot.
Kuchar has had a difficult time hanging with the big boys on the PGA Tour. He had what appeared to be a good season in 2008, but he only produced when up against weak fields. Kuchar doesn’t appear to be heading in a direction that would validate his selection.
2007 was a make or break year for Kuchar. After struggling for years to retain his card, Kuchar was forced to go the Nationwide route to earn his card. He did so during the 2006 season and gained another shot at the PGA Tour. He played well enough to keep his card for 2008, and this time around he should hold onto it longer. Kuchar has not displayed the type of game that made him a winner of the PGA Tour for a while, but he did show glimpses of it last year. I would not be surprised to see Kuchar step it up a notch this year.
