Kuchar caddie payment fallout continues

Australian commentator Wayne Riley has sledged Matt Kuchar on a TV broadcast as the American golfer's caddie payment saga continued.

By Evin Priest, Australian Associated Press
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An on-air roasting from Australian golf commentator Wayne Riley was proof Matt Kuchar's PGA Tour caddie payment saga won't dissolve soon, despite the American doubling down on his apology on Saturday.

"You don't leave coins on the green, especially with Matt Kuchar around ... they might disappear," Riley joked on Sky Sports' broadcast of the Genesis Open.

"That won't go away; I don't care how much he gives him."

Popular commentator Riley was referring to the fact Kuchar, on Friday, agreed to give local Mexican caddie David Giral Ortiz $50,000 ($A70,000) for his role in Kuchar's Mayakoba Classic victory in November.

Kuchar won $1.3 million ($A1.8m) for his eighth PGA Tour victory and paid Ortiz just $5,000(A7,000).

Regular PGA Tour caddies can receive up to 10 per cent of a golfer's prize money, however Kuchar's regular caddie, John Wood, was not available that week.

On Saturday in Los Angeles, Kuchar told reporters he regretted defending his frugality on the eve of the Genesis Open.

Kuchar faced backlash for saying on Wednesday, "for a (caddie) who makes $200 a day, $5,000 is a really big week".

"Listen, I was stubborn, hard-headed," Kuchar said, after an apology via a statement he released on Friday.

"In my mind, I had it as a deal is a deal but after I won the tournamenta deal wasn't a deal; not a good deal.

"Any transaction, all parties should come out feeling like they've won and, certainly in David's case, he did not feel like he won in that situation."

Along with the apologetic statement and agreement to give Ortiz the $50,000 he requested, Kuchar said he would make a charitable donation to the Mayakoba Classic to be spread among philanthropic causes in Mexico's Playa del Carmen area.

Kuchar is 10th on the PGA Tour's all-time career money list with on-course earnings of $US46.6m ($A65.2m).

Earlier this week, Kuchar confirmed reports he originally agreed to pay Ortiz $4,000 ($A5,600) for any top-10 result.

He then reportedly chipped in an extra $1,000 (A1,400) for a $5,000 total, which he handed Ortiz in an envelope after the Mayakoba Classic finished.

About 10 weeks after the event, Ortiz was offered an additional $15,000 ($A21,000) bonus by Kuchar's agent Mark Steinberg, which Ortiz refused.

Steinberg also represents 14-time major winner Tiger Woods.


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