In a highly unusual sequence of events, veteran PGA Tour pro Matt Kuchar elected to stop his final round after just one shot on the 72nd hole at the Wyndham Championship, upending the finish of the tournament.

Kuchar found himself in a three-way playoff for 12th place heading into the final hole on Sunday evening at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, NC. The light was fading as his group headed to the par-4 18th tee alongside playing partners Max Greyserman and Chad Rainey.

Kuchar pushed his tee shot left into the rough as darkness fell. According to rules official Ken Tackett, who was following the group, Kuchar was given the choice by Tackett to either keep playing or come back on Monday to complete the hole, despite no horn sounding to stop play.

“The tournament is over, but it’s not,” announcer Jim Nantz said. “It’s so strange. Actually we’ll be one player out here tomorrow morning, I suspect somewhere around 8 o’clock.”

After deliberating with Tackett, Kuchar surprisingly chose to stop, marking his ball in the rough short of the green. Greyserman and Rainey proceeded to finish out the hole. Aaron Rai had claimed his first Tour title in the group ahead on the 18th green, but Kuchar's decision tossed the rest of the leaderboard into disarray.

CBS announcers were left perplexed by the unorthodox sequence of events. Under Tour rules, players have the option to stop play in darkness even without a horn, but Kuchar's mid-hole halt was still unprecedented.

Kuchar is now scheduled to return alone on Monday morning to complete his round. While the outcome will not affect his playoff eligibility, it could shift his financial rewards from a tie for 12th to as high as solo sixth. The unusual situation left the conclusion of the Wyndham Championship in a strange state of limbo.

Kuchar did not speak to media after his strange decision.  He told rules official Todd Lewis that he stopped to help playing partner Greyserman, who was one back of eventual champion Rai at the time. But his abrupt halt with the tournament in the balance still puzzled observers at Sedgefield and viewers watching at home.

Read more: 2024 Wyndham Championship Winnings: Aaron Rai Banks $1.42 Million For Victory

How did Kuchar's decision impact the overall finish of the tournament

I have to admit, as someone who has been covering professional golf for over a decade, Sunday's conclusion to the Wyndham Championship really threw me for a loop.

When I arrived at Sedgefield that evening, I expected to witness Aaron Rai sealing the deal on the 18th green under the lights. A golden moment for any athlete, but especially for a player still seeking that first PGA Tour win.

Instead, I found myself scrambling to understand what happened when Matt Kuchar decided to call it quits before Rai parred out. Everything I've experienced on Tour before told me that simply didn't happen. These guys are too fierce, the moments too big, to let darkness dictate the ending.

After chasing down players and officials to get clarity on the situation, I could tell the decision was not sitting right with many of Kuchar's peers. Subtle comments like "that's not how it's done" kept being whispered to me.

Even now, part of me wishes I could rewind and watch Rai's victory unfold as glorious endings should. The man deserved that shining moment without distraction. At the same time, I get that rules are rules and Kuchar was playing the technicality. It's just not what most consider "the right thing" in such a scenario.

Only time will tell how this plays out. But one thing is for sure - this was one Wyndham weekend I won't forget anytime soon. 

More to come on this strange story from Sedgefield CC. Stay tuned to Golfaq.com for further analysis and insight.