Kuchar: ‘I needed to make that right’

For most of the final round at THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES, it appeared there just might be some destiny at play for Korean-born Danny Lee. It felt like a second PGA TOUR win was in the offing instead of the runner-up finish with which the 29-year-old would ultimately settle. Despite having coaxed in a long eagle putt on the 18th green Saturday to force a three-shot swing with Justin Thomas and join a tie for the lead through 54 holes, Lee was seen as a long shot against the usually unflappable Thomas. But he was a sentimental favorite, given his local ties and the revelation his wife had prematurely given birth to their second child last Sunday. The baby is currently in an incubator, as it was originally due closer to Christmas. Related: Leaderboard | Lee reveals difficult family news Despite playing with plenty of emotion, Lee put himself in a dogfight with Thomas on Jeju Island, making clutch putts throughout the front nine and carding three birdies to stay tied at the turn. He was still tied atop the leaderboard through 13 holes before Thomas produced a clutch birdie on the 14th hole. From there, perhaps pressing just a touch harder, Lee made his first few errors off the tee. He went from bunker to bunker on the 14th and 15th holes to end up with bogeys, seemingly ending his chances. “Just a couple holes that were letting me down with the driver on the back nine,â€� Lee admitted. “A couple tee shots that you cannot hit it in that bunkers on the left and I did, so struggling to make par from there when Justin had a couple birdie looks.â€� But when they reached the 72nd hole, Lee found himself two back and refused to lie down. Once again, he set himself up with a lengthy eagle try and surveyed it after Thomas had sent an eagle run of his own past the cup. Lee’s effort tracked toward the hole the entire way and jumped above the hole, hit the back of the cup, and spun away. A cruel lip out at the end of what was a great week. The miss gave Thomas two putts from short range to win and the American closed out his 11th PGA TOUR title. “Pretty close. I wasn’t going to leave that short,â€� Lee said of the putt. “It looked so good for so long. Had a little too much speed to go in, but I gave it a really good run.â€� The runner-up finish is the third of Lee’s PGA TOUR career as he searches for a second win to go with his 2015 triumph at A Military Tribute at the Greenbrier. “Before I tee off my very first tee shot on Thursday, if someone’s going to give me solo second, I would take it in a heartbeat. It is a good week, but also very disappointing. “I really wanted to win THE CJ CUP. It means a lot to me to win it in front of the Korean fans and all my Korean family, but it is what it is. I gave my best out there today and solo second was the best I could do.â€� Lee moves to 11th in the FedExCup standings.

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For Brian Gay, it was a very quick decision. A nondecision, really. In November, following his fifth career PGA TOUR win at the Bermuda Championship, Gay received a congratulatory letter from the Thunderbirds - host organization of this week's Waste Management Phoenix Open - saying they would be making a donation to the charity of his choosing. Gay and his wife, Kimberly, immediately thought of Camilo Villegas, a four-time TOUR winner. Villegas - a University of Florida product, like Gay - and his wife, Maria, had recently laid their daughter, Mia, to rest. Mia was just 22 months old. Not long after her passing, the Villegas family started a foundation in her name, Mia's Miracles. "Our hearts go out to Camilo and Maria," Gay said, "and our family wanted them to feel supported in their journey of persevering and making a difference in the world - through Mia’s memory." The best efforts of the doctors at the Nicklaus Children's Hospital in Miami couldn't save Mia, who was diagnosed with high-grade glioneuronal tumors on her brain and on her spine last March. "It’s tough to describe, obviously, the love you feel as a parent," Camilo said to PGATOUR.COM's Helen Ross in November. "And then when you started interacting with her and she’s just giving you so much love and energy, it’s awesome. "That’s why I’m actually so thankful about not playing golf during those months. You know, my shoulder (injury) happened for a reason. ... It's not what we wanted, but, hey, I got to enjoy Mia for 22 months. If I would have been playing golf, you know how our schedules are, busy and crazy." Mia died on July 26. Her parents, though, are determined that Mia's life will have meaning beyond the 22 short months and two hours that the toddler spent on this earth. The mission of Mia's Miracles is to provide small blessings with large impacts, bringing smiles and positivity to children and families facing challenging circumstances. Mia's Miracles very first fundraiser, Mia's Morning Walks, raised over $80,000 with the support of friends around the world. In addition, their Grant a Christmas Miracle initiative raised another $20,000 to provide children and families in Colombia, where Maria and Camilo were both born, with a memorable Christmas. "I’m sad, of course," Maria said. "I have days where it’s so hard and I miss her physical presence all the time, but I know I’ll be OK. I know we’ll be fine, and I know we’ll just honor her name. "That’s our mission now." To learn more about the mission, please visit www.mias-miracles.org.

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