Why Matt Kuchar's bronze medal means everything to him

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RIO DE JANEIRO — Thirty-six hours before the first round of the Olympic golf tournament began, American Matt Kuchar visited the aquatics stadium and watched Michael Phelps win a pair of races.

“To see the greatest Olympian ever claim two more medals, it was just inspiring,” Kuchar said. “When you see that, you think, ‘I’ve got a chance to do what he did.’ It’s not going to be 20-something like he has, but I’ve got a chance to get one.”

Kuchar now also owns a medal thanks to a thrilling Sunday charge. He posted the lowest round of the day, a bogey-free 8-under par 63, to climb from seventh to third on the leaderboard and claim a bronze medal.

[Related: Justin Rose wins gold medal with birdie on 18]

“I can’t explain to you the amount of pride I have finishing third,” Kuchar said. “Typically you wouldn’t say that, but I got to the golf course this morning thinking I had a real shot at medaling. The overwhelming sense of pride I’m feeling is just remarkable.”

The most impressive part of Kuchar’s round was that he easily could have shot a stroke or two lower and put a real scare into gold medalist Justin Rose of England and silver medalist Henrik Stenson of Sweden.

Kuchar was within three shots of the co-leaders when he drove the green on the par-4 16th hole, but he was too aggressive with his eagle putt. It rolled well past the hole as Kuchar gestured futilely for it to slow down, leading to his only three-putt of the day.

The gap between Kuchar and the two men he was chasing had shrunk to one by the 18th hole when the 38-year-old American caught another bad break. His pitch stuck in the light rough and came to a stop 20 feet from the hole, leaving him a long birdie putt instead of a more favorable one.

Kuchar bowed his head in disgust after missing the subsequent putt, forcing him to settle for a tap-in for par. Rose then birdied the 18th hole about 30 minutes later to claim victory by two shots over Stenson and three over Kuchar.

“Matt played beautiful golf,” said playing partner Padraig Harrington of Ireland.

“He was very unlucky on 16 for his par. Had [his drive] gone another five or 10 feet, he would have had a clear putt. Then on 18, it just stayed short. He really could have shot 18-under [for the tournament].”

[Related: Golf showed it can deliver Olympic drama in its return to the Games]

Kuchar owes a thank you to Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson for his bronze medal. Had either of them not backed out of playing at the Olympics because of concerns about the Zika virus, Kuchar would not have qualified to play in Rio.

Six of the world’s top-10 players passed on the chance to participate in the first Olympic golf event in 112 years, but the tournament was a success in spite of their absences.

By all accounts, the course itself was world-class even though it was hastily built on a plot of land where only sand and scrubs once stood just a few years ago. The top players who did attend also thoroughly enjoyed their experiences and pledged to return in four years if they’re eligible.

Nobody enjoyed themselves more than American Bubba Watson, despite never seriously contending for a medal and settling for a tie for eighth place overall. Watson spent the week hobnobbing with everyone from Greg Louganis, to Phelps, to members of the U.S. field hockey and track and field teams.

“This is the greatest sporting event I’ve ever been part of, and it’s a thrill of a lifetime to be part of it,” Watson said. “I get the Master’s for the rest of my life, but it’s just golf. There’s no other events going on. When you talk about a sporting event, this is a dream come true.”

If Watson’s enthusiasm spreads to some of the elite golfers who passed on the chance to play in Rio, it can only help the sport’s chances of remaining in the Olympics once the trial period ends in 2020. The only complaint many of the golfers had was that they would like to see a team element added so that the Olympics feel less like a typical PGA event.

You won’t hear any of Sunday’s medalists complaining, though. Each raved about their Olympic experience – both at the golf course and away from it.

Earlier this week, Kuchar sat in the player’s box for a bronze medal doubles tennis match involving Americans Jack Sock and Steve Johnson. When the U.S. team won, Kuchar said they were as excited to wear the custom jackets athletes don on the podium as they were to receive the bronze medals themselves. That same sentiment hit Kuchar on Sunday as he stepped onto the medal stand.

Said Kuchar, “Now I’ve earned the right to wear that jacket.”