ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Matt Kuchar and his college-bound son made birdie on all but three holes for a 15-under 57 to build a two-shot lead over John Daly and his college son in the PNC Championship on a gorgeous Saturday when both sons carried the load in a scramble format.
“He's the horse and the saddle. That's all there is to it,” Daly, the two-time major champion, said of John Daly II, the Southern Amateur champion and a senior at Arkansas.
Cameron Kuchar, who is going to TCU next year, drilled a driver and hit wedge to a foot on the first hole for birdie. Kuchar followed with a drive, wedge and a putt for birdie on the next. That's when Cameron got the idea to keep track of “solo birdies” made on their own shots.
“He ran a tally up. It was way higher than my tally of solo birdies,” Kuchar said of his son. “He got the best of my today.”
The game within a game — Cameron won — carried them to the low score at the Ritz-Carlton Club and a chance to win the Willie Park Trophy, a red belt that goes to the winning team.
The only glitch was the par-5 14th hole with water running down the left side. Both were in the fairway. Both hit into the water. They had to scramble for par, which in this format felt like a bogey.
“You do feel a bit deflated walking away from a par particularly after the drive he hit,” Kuchar said. “Best thing you can do is just get right back on it, and Cam did that on the next.”
The tournament is popular among players who have won majors of The Players Championship and bring one of their children or a parent. Former U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland was the lone newcomer among 20 teams. He is recovering from brain surgery in September 2023 and his father, Dan, is a cancer survivor. They shot 61.
The final round Sunday also is the scramble format, when each team hits from the best ball, so it will be a sprint to the finish with several teams still in the mix, two of them women.
Steve Stricker and daughter Izzi, a sophomore at Wisconsin, were at 12-under 60 along with two-time LPGA major champion Nelly Korda and her father, former Australian Open tennis champion Petr Korda.
Also at 60 was Davis Love III and Davis Love IV — he goes by Dru — who won this twice in 2012 and 2018. Dru Love had an Asian Tour card which kept him from playing the PNC, but he no longer has a card on any tour and the Loves were late entries when a number of players — Tiger Woods, Justin Thomas and Gary Player — were kept from playing because of injury or health issues.
Daly and Little John also are past champions, beating Woods and his son Charlie in 2021. The son delivered the goods on the par-5 closing hole with an 8-iron from 190 yards to 10 feet.
Annika Sorenstam and her son, Will McGee, were in the group at 11-under 61 that included the Woodlands and Justin Leonard and his college son Luke (Villanova). David Duval and his son also were at 61 along with two-time defending champions, Bernhard Langer and Wall Street son Jason.
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
FILE - Gary Woodlands watches his tee shot on the 16th hole during a practice round for the PGA Championship golf tournament at the Quail Hollow Club, May 14, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/George Walker IV, File)
San Francisco (10-4) at Indianapolis (8-6)
Monday, 8:15 p.m. EST, ESPN.
BetMGM NFL odds: 49ers by 6.
Against the spread: 49ers 9-5; Colts 8-6.
Series record: Colts lead 27-18.
Last meeting: Colts beat 49ers 30-18 on Oct. 24, 2021, in Santa Clara, California.
Last week: 49ers beat the Titans 37-24; Colts lost to the Seahawks 18-16.
49ers offense: overall (10), rush (25), pass (4), scoring (11).
49ers defense: overall (18), rush (12), pass (18), scoring (10t).
Colts offense: overall (8), rush (6t), pass (9), scoring (6).
Colts defense: overall (22), rush (6), pass (31), scoring (12).
Turnover differential: 49ers minus-5; Colts plus-2.
WR Jauan Jennings. After being slowed by injuries early in the season, Jennings has been back to last season’s form recently. He caught two TD passes in the last game to give him six in his last six games. If he catches a TD in a fourth straight game, he'll tie George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk for the longest streak for the 49ers in the last 12 seasons.
RT Jalen Travis and LT Luke Tenuta. Travis, a rookie, made his first start last week in place of the injured Braden Smith. Tenuta could get his first career start this week — if LT Bernhard Raimann can't play because of an injured elbow. While the 49ers rank last in the NFL with 16 sacks in 14 games, they could crank up the pressure against 44-year-old QB Philip Rivers. And it will be incumbent on the offensive line to play well Sunday.
San Francisco's run defense vs. Jonathan Taylor. Since losing Fred Warner in mid-October, the 49ers have allowed five of eight opponents to rush for more than 100 yards per game including each of the last two weeks. They've allowed an average 105.1 yards per game. That means they're likely to get a heavy dose of Taylor, who's chasing his second league rushing title. The 49ers are likely to stack the line, daring Rivers to throw and the winner of this chess match likely wins the game.
49ers: WR Ricky Pearsall came out of last week’s game with injuries to his knee and ankle will miss the game. ... CB Renardo Green (ankle) is also out. ... San Francisco will get LB Tatum Bethune (ankle), DE Sam Okuayinonu (ankle) and DT Jordan Elliott (knee) back this week. ... LB Eric Kendricks (calf) and DL Yetur Gross-Matos (hamstring) also could play.
Colts: Raimann is officially listed as questionable. ... The Colts ruled out two-time All-Pro CB Sauce Gardner with a strained calf. ... Two-time Pro Bowl DT DeForest Buckner (neck) could be activated from IR after making it through a second week of practice.
Indy has won five straight and six of the last eight in this series. It also is unbeaten on the teams' most recent home fields: The Colts are 2-0 at Lucas Oil Stadium and 1-0 at Levi's Stadium. ... San Francisco's last win over Indianapolis came in November 2001 — the game that prompted then-Colts coach Jim Mora to go on his infamous “Playoffs?” rant. ... These franchises played in a heavy downpour the last time they met. ... Before the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, the 49ers and Colts were part of the NFL's Western Conference from 1953-69 and the NFL's Coastal Division from 1967-69.
The 49ers can clinch their fifth playoff berth in seven seasons with a win — or a Detroit loss. ... San Francisco’s four-game winning streak is the longest for the team since a six-game streak in 2023. ... The 49ers have run just five offensive plays when trailing during this winning streak. ... Christian McCaffrey has 86 receptions and needs seven this week to break Roger Craig’s franchise record for a running back of 92 set in 1985. ... San Francisco converted its first seven third-down attempts last week and ranks second in the league with a 49.2% conversion rate. ... QB Brock Purdy has a 124.1 passer rating on third down this season for the best mark of any quarterback who has started this season. ... San Francisco has scored four TDs and one FG on their six opening drives this season with Purdy at QB. ... The Colts have slid out of playoff position after losing four straight and five of six. ... Indianapolis has scored 20 or fewer points in all five of its losses this season. ... Since opening the season by scoring 20 or more points in 11 straight games, Indy has not scored more than 19 in its last three contests. ... Rivers played for the Colts in 2020, but never played in front of a crowd larger 14,100 that season. His last win came with Indy on Jan. 3, 2021. ... Taylor entered Week 16 as the NFL's leading rusher with 1,443, 28 more than Buffalo's James Cook. Taylor needs 106 yards to pass Edgerrin James for the fifth-highest single season total in franchise history and 111 to pass James for fourth. ... Tyler Warren needs nine yards receiving to break Hall of Famer John Mackey's franchise record for a rookie tight end. Mackey had 726 yards in 1963. ... Indy's run defense is allowing 95.1 yards per game and has allowed the second-lowest percentage of opponents gaining four or more yards, which occur on just 39.6%of opponents' carries. ... Opposing quarterbacks also have an 86.2 passer rating, the ninth lowest in the NFL.
Taylor was the safe play most of this season, and he could be again Monday. But McCaffrey is on the kind of roll Taylor was earlier this season. Over the past four weeks, he has produced 424 total yards and scored six TDs.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) runs the ball past Tennessee Titans linebacker Cedric Gray, left, during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) looks to throw a pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers (17) and head coach Shane Steichen celebrate after a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers reacts during the second half of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
