Matt Kuchar and son Cameron cruise to record victory at the PNC Championship while remembering the family patriarch

The PNC Championship concluded what frequently is called the silly season, but silliness gave way to seriously impressive, the performance delivered by the winners, Matt Kuchar and his son Cameron on Sunday.

The Kuchars took a two-stroke lead into the second and final round at Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando, played the first seven holes in eight under in the two-man scramble format and cruised to a record seven-stroke victory.

“Hit it close, make putts,” Cameron said. “I was lucky today. I just putted really, really well, and when I missed my dad would back me up.”

They posted an 18-under-par 54 for a 36-hole total of 33-under 111, a tournament record. Their round included a tap-in eagle on the par-5 18th hole following a brilliant second shot by Matt, who got emotional walking up the fairway. He was thinking about his father Peter Kuchar, a ubiquitous presence in Matt’s career, who died suddenly last February.

“Certainly tough for me,” Matt said. “Dad is missed. I definitely got very emotional coming in, thinking about this moment and how much it would mean to dad if he were here.”

Davis Love III and his son Dru and John Daly and his son John Daly II tied for second. Steve Stricker and daughter Izzi tied for third, along with Nelly Korda and her father Petr.

“I told Dru after the turn, don't look at the leaderboards because I knew we had to do something spectacular to catch up with those guys,” Davis said. “But then I snuck a peak about midway through and I'm like, well, looks like we're playing for second.”

The Kuchars’ performance was not necessarily surprising. Matt, at 47, remains competitive on the PGA Tour, making the cut in 16 of 18 starts, finishing in the top 20 in five of them, with one top 10.

Meanwhile, son Cameron, 18, has a handicap index of plus-3.5 at The Bears Club near their home in Jupiter, Fla. He ranks 24th in the Rolex American Junior Golf Association rankings, and already has committed to playing college golf at TCU next fall.

When play began on Sunday, the Kuchars led the Dalys by two strokes, then delivered six birdies and an eagle on the first seven holes. After a par on the eighth hole, they birdied three in a row and five of the next six to open a five-stroke lead with four holes left.

Their total of 33 under shattered the previous scoring record of 28 under, jointly held by Bernhard Langer and son Jason and Tiger Woods and son Charlie. The Langers defeated the Woods in a playoff last year.

"It's pretty magical, and again, you go back to those things, if you believe in karma or fate or something greater from above, there's got to be something else going on," Matt said.

"I know that I feel confident in my game, certainly his game. I keep seeing him improve and improve and it's so fun for me to see him continue to get better, and for him to put on a show when it really matters when cameras are out. I don't think he's been on a stage. He's played in some big junior events but certainly when you get on a national scene like this, it's unique and he rose to the occasion in a big way."