By Art Spander
Special to NewsdaySHEBOYGAN, Wis. -- He was the kid with the big smile and great future. Matt Kuchar won the 1997 U.S. Amateur, made the cut in the Masters -- when he was paired with a defending champion named Tiger Woods -- and looked like the next American star in the golfing galaxy.
Then, as Kuchar said ruefully, golf happened.
"I went through some stretches of not having it," said Kuchar, now either a young 32 or an old 32 depending on his mood. "But I have kind of dug way out.''
He's certainly had it in this bizarre 92nd PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, some 60 miles north of Milwaukee, a tournament that depending on climatic conditions could last until the 12th of Never.
Kuchar was one of the 78 golfers who didn't finish Thursday's first round until Friday -- a different 78 won't finish Friday's second round until Saturday -- because of a second straight fog delay. He came out Friday morning, birdied the first hole he played to take the lead and he never let it go.
Beginning at the sixth hole, his 15th, Kuchar played the final four holes of his first round in 1 under par for a 5-under 67. In the afternoon he shot a 69 for a 36-hole, 8-under 136 total, a shot ahead of Nick Watney.
Tied for third at 5-under 139 are seven golfers: Jason Dufner, who had a tournament low 6-under 66 after a 73; Rory McIlroy, the Northern Irishman who shot a 63 in the British Open a month ago; Dustin Johnson, who led the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach after three rounds; 2007 Masters winner Zach Johnson; Bryce Molder, a teammate of Kucher's at Georgia Tech; Simon Kahn of England, who bogeyed the final three holes and Seung Yui Noh of Korea.
Bubba Watson and Francesco Molinari, first-round co-leaders at 68, as well as Tiger Woods, began their second rounds late Friday as wind grew and darkness loomed. Watson began at 6:15 p.m. EST and was 1-over through eight holes, while Molinari started at 6:57 and was even through five.
Woods, who was 1-under for the first round, completed six holes of his second round at even par before the horn sounded to halt play at 7:27 p.m., earlier than Thursday because of a mist off Lake Michigan.
"It was tough out there,'' said Woods, who scrambled for pars on two, three and five. "Had to hang in there and did a good job with that.''
So did Kuchar, who at Georgia Tech played very well until his junior year, then rebounded as a senior.
"I turned pro,'' he said, "earned my card and a sponsor exemption straightaway my first year and in seven events earned enough to keep myself on Tour through 2002. Then I had a win in 2002 and another dip down. Since 2005 it's been a steady climb up.''
This year he has six top 10s, including a sixth in the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.
"I think there's a maturing process. I thought out of school, Bryce [Molder] was the best hands-down player in college golf. I thought he's going straight to the big leagues.''
Instead, he went straight to the Nationwide Tour, unable to make the PGA Tour until the end of 2006.
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