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By Dave Lagarde
PGATOUR.com Correspondent

In the final analysis, Matt Kuchar's return to the PGA TOUR in 2007 could have been much better. Then again it certainly could have been worse.

At 6-4, Matt Kuchar is one of the tallest members of the PGA TOUR. (Getty Images)

Bottom line, Kuchar kept his job by finishing 115th on the money list with $886,146 in earnings, making it a successful year by just about anyone this side of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson or Vijay Singh standards.

And when the PGA TOUR kicks off in 2008 with the Sony Open in Hawaii, look for Kuchar's name among the entries. Kuchar will be looking for a more consistent season than 2007, one in which he started quickly and, at first glance, "appeared'' to run out of gas in the last half.

"I sure would love to become a more consistent player, to be the kind of player who makes THE TOUR Championship every year,'' said Kuchar, who made 16 of 26 cuts highlighted by a tie for third at the AT&T Classic near his old Georgia Tech stomping grounds.

It appeared Kuchar had become just that sort of play-well-every-week player through early June. He missed just four cuts in his first 16 events and had amassed more than $775,000 in earnings. Kuchar would make only 10 more starts and miss six cuts the rest of the season.

But Kuchar was not absent for much of the time without good reason. He and his wife Sybi ushered their first baby Kooch into the world during that time frame. Obviously ran to the nursery rather than out of gas.

The end to 2007 was in contrast to the former Georgia Tech four-time All-America's year on the Nationwide Tour in 2006. He started poorly but ran like a thoroughbred in the stretch drive. He had only one Nationwide top-20 finish to his credit by last May, when his game showed signs of consistent rejuvenation.

He tied for 14th in the Rheem Classic Presented by Times Record and then won a three-hole playoff against Paul Claxton the next week to win the Henrico County Open Presented by Saxon Capital, Inc. He missed just two more cuts in 15 events, ending the season with more than $300,000 in earnings and ownership of the 10th position on the final money list.

The thing is, the Nationwide Tour was the last place many keen observers of the game would have looked for Kuchar, a former United States amateur champion, who grabbed that prestigious title in 1997 while a freshman All-American at Georgia Tech. He won the 1998 Fred Haskins Award as the nation's top college player, but made a huge impression on a bigger stages by finishing 21st at the Masters and flirted with the 36-hole lead in the U.S. Open before finishing 14th.

Kuchar, 29, retained his amateur status after college, taking a job in finance. He soon quit his day job, turning professional in 2000. The next year, he became one of the rare players to earn his way onto the PGA TOUR via sponsor's exemptions. He then broke through to the winner's circle in the 2002 Honda Classic. Marginal seasons followed until Kuchar lost his playing privileges following 2005, hence the fall to the Nationwide Tour. But instead of griping, he approached the season positively.

Kuchar's biggest check of 2007 came at Sugarloaf, when he finished tied for third at the AT&T Classic. Kuchar had played the course countless times while going to nearby Georgia Tech. (WireImage)

"I really enjoyed it,'' Kuchar said of his time on the Nationwide Tour. "Some guys go down there with a bad attitude, thinking they don't belong there. They dig themselves a deep hole.''

Kuchar took another tack, using his season to renew some old acquaintances and socialize on a Tour that nurtures a family atmosphere and camaraderie among its players.

"I ran across a bunch of friends I used to play collegiate and junior golf with and it was good to see those guys again and hang out. I think any tour you go to, even on the down the line with some of the lower tiers, you've got some really good players and the Nationwide Tour is no exception. The PGA TOUR guys are just more experienced. But as far as talent I don't think there is a real big difference in talent. The Nationwide Tour turned into a fun trip.''

Kuchar knew he returned to the PGA TOUR with more experience and with a better understanding of where to play and where to take off for a week, avoiding golf courses that did not especially suit his game.

"I can't tell you that if I had stayed on the PGA TOUR in 2006 that I would have gained the kind of maturity I did on the Nationwide Tour,'' he said.

But he did learn to appreciate what he had when he was in The Big Show and came back determined to roll with the punches and do the best he can. The 2007 season was a step in the right direction.

"You just don't get that much success out here,'' he said after returning to the TOUR for the Fall Finish. "It's hard; it beats you up. But if you stay positive, good things do happen.''

"You just don't get that much success out here. It's hard; it beats you up. But if you stay positive, good things do happen."

"I can't tell you that if I had stayed on the PGA TOUR in 2006 that I would have gained that maturity,'' he said.