Kuchar, English break records at QBE Shootout, Hughes and Griffin tie for second

NAPLES, Fla. — Matt Kuchar and Harris English broke a bunch of their own QBE Shootout records in a runaway victory Sunday at Tiburon Golf Club.

Kuchar and English became the first team to win the event three times, finished at 37-under 179 to break the mark of 34 under they set in 2013, and won by nine strokes to top their 2013 record of seven.

“That is laughable,” Kuchar said. “It’s hard to fathom just how good of golf that was. It’s funny, as a player you stay in the moment pretty well and don’t think too much about it.”

Canadian Mackenzie Hughes and partner Lanto Griffin finished in a tie for second place with defending champions Rory Sabbatini and Kevin Tway, and first-round leaders Kevin Na and Sean O’Hair at 28-under.

Five strokes ahead after an 11-under 61 on Saturday in modified alternate-shot play, Kuchar and English shot a 60 in better-ball play. English closed birdie-eagle-birdie.

“I didn’t want to put too much thought into us having a five-shot lead coming in today,” English said. “I kind of wanted to put more into seeing what we could do, trying to break the record.”

Also the 2016 winners, they had the eagle and 10 birdies in the final round.

“The show Harris put on on the back nine was just awesome,” Kuchar said. “I think he pulled me aside after 14 and said, `I think we need two shots to set the new mark.’ I said, `We’ve got four chances.’ And he went ahead and went birdie-eagle-birdie to close it out. It was fun to watch.”

Sabbatini and Tway shot 61, Griffin and Hughes 62, and Na and O’Hair 64.

Five other players have won the event three times: Fred Couples, Steve Elkington, Brad Faxon, Scott McCarron and Kenny Perry.

The Associated Press