Friends find Kuchar unchanged, regardless of success

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From the 1997 U.S. Amateur to the top of the 2010 FedExCup, Matt Kuchar has remained true to himself.

Millions of people have gotten to know Matt Kuchar through television. The big smile that was first broadcast to the world at the 1998 Masters has become Kuchar's calling card. It is the equivalent of a mustache to Groucho Marx or pointy ears to Leonard Nimoy.

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There's nothing fake about Kuchar's smile, he's really one of the good guys -- not only on the golf course, but in life. Currently ranked No. 1 on the PGA TOUR's money list and No. 1 in FedExCup points, Kuchar will be one of the favorites this week at THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola. Given his background at Georgia Tech, he'll likely be one of the fan favorites; even Bulldogs fans will probably root for him.

We talked with three men who each have a close relationship with Kuchar. They see past the smile and understand what makes the man tick.

The Coach

Bruce Heppler is the coach at Georgia Tech and saw Kuchar on a daily basis for four years. He can only imagine how difficult it must have been for Kuchar to live in a bubble after his victory at the 1997 U.S. Amateur and his success at the 1998 Masters and U.S. Open. He knew the pressure that Kuchar was under to take the millions in endorsement money and bypass his senior season.

"Having all that stuff thrown at you is hard," Heppler said.

Like most of the Georgia Tech guys on TOUR (Stewart Cink, Bryce Molder, Troy Matteson, Nicholas Thompson, Matt Weibring), Kuchar remains close to the program. He communicates with Heppler on a regular basis and is always willing to help the program.

Kuchar still remembers many of the lessons he learned from Heppler, who preached the importance of making every shot count. Better to grind out a bogey than settle for a double-bogey, the coach says.

Heppler takes great pride in how Kuchar has developed into one of the most consistent performers on the PGA TOUR. He said the key has been Kuchar's willingness to play his own game and to not try fitting into another player's mold.

"Matt has realized that, 'Hey, I can only do the things that I can do,'" Heppler said. "I think that's when it changed. When he realized he can only be Matt, that made a difference. He's worked hard to become the player he is."

The Club

When he's at home, Kuchar spends a lot of time at The Golf Club of Georgia in Alpharetta. He's been a regular there (and an honorary member) since he competed in the 1998 Georgia Cup, an annual event hosted by the club that matches the reigning U.S. Amateur champion against the British Amateur Champion.

Since then Kuchar has made it point each year to return to The Golf Club of Georgia and host the annual fund raiser for the Georgia Junior Golf Foundation, which is held on the eve of the Georgia Cup. He will often fly to the event -- at his own expense -- and return to the TOUR the next day.

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"He's been such a blessing for our club," said Jeff Paton, the PGA director of golf at The Golf Club of Georgia. "It's been a blast having him around since he first showed up for the Georgia Cup."

Paton says most people are unaware of Kuchar's well-deserved reputation as a practical joker. "He's quite the character," Paton said. "I'm talking old-school practical jokes."

Paton noticed that even when Kuchar was going through the difficult seasons, his attitude remained upbeat and he never stopped working. And although Kuchar has become one of the most consistent players on the PGA TOUR this season, he's still the same old guy who never hesitated to put plastic wrap around the toilet seats.

"The only thing I've seen is him laughing more and smiling more," Paton said.

The Friend

Carlton Forrester knows Kuchar from a different perspective. Their friendship began at Georgia Tech, where the two were part of the team that finished second in the NCAA Championship to Oklahoma State. (Thanks, Charles Howell III.) Forrester is a year older, but was redshirted as a freshman, and graduated the same year as Kuchar.

The two became close friends. They were even roommates for a year at Georgia Tech. "I don't remember if it was our sophomore or junior year, but we had the Havemeyer Trophy (given to the winner of the U.S. Amateur) on the coffee table. I thought that was pretty cool."

The two Yellow Jackets practiced together and fed off the other's desire for excellence.

"The common goal to work hard and be the best brought us together," Forrester said. "We just hit it off."

Upon graduation Kuchar went out to play professional golf. Forrester continued to compete as an amateur and was runner-up in the 2005 U.S. Mid-Am. When Golf Digest published its list of the top 150 golfers in the world of finance, Forrester was No. 6. He's currently the managing director for Atlanta-based Perimeter Concourse Capital.

But the two friends never lost touch. They were in each other's weddings and both have two young children. They call and text on a regular basis and freely do favors for each other. In 2007, when Forrester was trying to make the Walker Cup team, Kuchar came home to caddie for his buddy at a U.S. Amateur qualifier, even in 105 degree weather.

Forrester is delighted with the success his friend has had on the PGA TOUR. They celebrated when Kuchar made the Ryder Cup team. Forrester hopes there will be another celebration this week at East Lake.

"It's just a dream," he said. "He's making history and all his hard work is paying off. It's really fun to see."

Stan Awtrey is a freelance columnist for PGATOUR.COM. His views do not necessarily reflect the views of the PGA TOUR.