Matt Kuchar, Your 2010 Player of the Year

It is going to be a strange year for the Player of the Year race, mainly because nobody has come forward as the odds-on favorite. Well, until Sunday, when Matt Kuchar got handed a spot in the Barclays playoff after Martin Laird three-putted from 25 feet, and hit one of the best shots, if not the best shot, of the year to about two feet for birdie and the win.

It was Kuchar's first win of 2010, but it was good enough for me; Kuchar should be the 2010 Player of the Year, as long as none of the major championship winners bag another win for the rest of the season.

Why should a guy with only one win be named the Player of the Year on the PGA Tour? Well, because since the opening event in Hawaii, Kuchar has been the most consistent golfer on tour.

Here are some of his impressive stats:

-- One win, one second place, two thirds
-- Five top-fives
-- Ten top-10s
-- 16 top-25 finishes in just 22 events
-- A top-10 in two of the four majors, with a top-27 finish in all four big ones
-- His 69.62 is the lowest scoring average on tour
-- He's the leading money winner and leader of the FedEx Cup to date

So, give me someone else that, for the full year, has been as good as Kuchar? I don't hate your arguments for Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker, Justin Rose or Ernie Els for multiple winners, but they still haven't had the type of complete year that Kuchar has strung together.

Also, could you pick a worse person to be named Player of the Year during a season that has seemed to focus on all the bad in the golf world? I sure don't hate the idea, and I hope the voters give him their full attention when penciling in Kuchar's name.

Associated Press