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 It would be a surprise then if he wasn't in the ear of his
practice-round partners at the British Open which starts on Thursday
at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club.
"I've had four practice rounds and had four great Open champions to
play with," said Kuchar who has had top-10 finishes in all the
majors without winning one.
"I played with Tiger Woods on Sunday, Nick Faldo on Monday, Tom
Watson on Tuesday and David Duval today," he told reporters on
Wednesday.
"I hope I get some unique perspective and some of that mystical Open
championship to rub off a little on me. It was great to play with
all of them. I enjoyed my practice rounds.
Kuchar has certainly been keeping good company and says that he
feels comfortable on the course alongside the Dee Estuary, even if
he does not know exactly what it's called.
 "I could use a little help," said the 36-year-old from Florida. "I
still don't know exactly how to refer to it, if I refer to the
course as Hoylake or Royal Liverpool or Royal Liverpool at Hoylake.
"I have heard it many different ways, even The Royal."
BOX OF TRICKS
Kuchar often carries four wedges in his bag and he will dip into his
box of tricks around the greens over the next few days, leaning
heavily on the sage advice passed on by former major winners Trevino
and Floyd.
"I've actually sought out guys. I sought out Lee Trevino for help
with the wedge game. I sought out Ray Floyd with pitching around the
greens," the world number five explained.
"Trying to take guys that I knew were the best at what they did and
figure out if there's anything they had to share that I could
possibly use.
"There are a few things that Lee told me that I still use in my
wedge shots. There are things that Ray Floyd showed me that I put in
play," said Kuchar.
"I think that's something that I love about the game is the ability
to continue to learn. I think when I first came out as a rookie, I
didn't want to get in anybody's way, and was too scared to ask for
help.
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"But now I'm comfortable enough to seek some guys out and to go
ahead and ask them for help."
The Ryder Cup player the American crowds call 'Kooooch' is also
right up to speed with Hoylake's history, admitting he cannot get
enough of the traditions that mark the event out from the other
three majors played across the Atlantic.
"This is a special place and so heaped with tradition. I loved going
through and checking out the history, knowing that Bobby Jones won
the second leg of his Grand Slam here in 1930," he said.
"Or figuring out the different past champions and getting to know
some history here. I think there was a guy, Johnny Ball, who was a
legendary player here," added Kuchar of the first English-born
golfer to win the Open in 1890.
"Anytime coming here is extra special because of the amount of
history that is here.
"To win the British Open would just be a dream come true. I think
all of us as kids that played the game envision holding the Claret
Jug."
Kuchar will have another former British Open champion, Louis
Oosthuizen, and Northern Ireland's former U.S. Open winner Graeme
McDowell for company on Thursday.
(Editing by Tony Jimenez)
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