GREENSBORO, N.C. – Two years ago today, Australian PGA TOUR golfer Jarrod Lyle teed off in the Wyndham Championship. As fate would have it, the 2016 Wyndham Championship would be his final PGA TOUR event. As this year’s tournament begins, just eight days after Lyle succumbed to acute myeloid Leukemia, the Wyndham Championship remembers this courageous player with a fitting weekend tribute, the tournament announced today. The 79th annual Wyndham Championship starts today at Sedgefield Country Club.
Lyle’s golf bag and clubs will be displayed on the first tee at Sedgefield Country Club with one of Lyle’s hats hanging on a club for the duration of the event. In addition, two other bags will be autographed by golfers playing this year’s tournament and sold by auction with 100 percent of the proceeds benefitting Lyle’s family. Titleist provided yellow hats for its contracted golfers to wear should they choose.
At the Wyndham Championship’s sand sculpture, the artists will create a likeness of “Leuk the Duck,” an icon representing Australian charitable organization Challenge which supports kids with Cancer. The sand art will include, “In Memoriam: Jarrod Lyle.” The Challenge website says, “Leuk the Duck™ was created in 1990 by Herald Sun Cartoonist, Mark Knight. Since then, Leuk has been an important symbol for the Challenge organisation and became an iconic figure in the golfing community……Jarrod Lyle has been instrumental in the design of our Leuk caps, which are now for sale on the Challenge website.” For additional information, please visit, https://www.challenge.org.au/.
In addition to the on-course tributes, the tournament is raising money through all of its constituents including sponsors, staff, board members and volunteers to support the “Jarrod Lyle’s Girls” GoFundMe page established to benefit Lyle’s daughters which has now exceeded its original $200,000 goal. Wyndham Championship patrons wishing to make donations to the GoFundMe page may do so Saturday and Sunday at the First Tee of the Triad expo on Expo Row at Sedgefield Country Club. Donations to GoFundMe pages are not tax deductible.
“These are sad days for the PGA TOUR family,” tournament director Mark Brazil said. “I knew Jarrod to be one of the kindest human beings on TOUR, and I know all the guys, especially the Australians, will really miss him. We are doing what we can to contribute to his GoFundMe page and his charity; we’re working with the entire Wyndham Championship family in an effort to raise $25,000 for the Lyle family.”
Lyle, a 36-year-old father of two, passed away on Aug. 8. He was initially diagnosed with Leukemia as a teenager in 1999, but it resurfaced in 2013 and again last year. He is survived by his wife Briony, and daughters Lusi, 6, and Jemma, 2.
About the Wyndham Championship:
Contested annually on the Donald Ross-designed course at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C., the Wyndham Championship was founded in 1938 and is the sixth-oldest event on the PGA TOUR excluding the Majors. Tickets are available at http://www.wyndhamchampionship.com or through the tournament office at (336) 379-1570. The tournament thanks title sponsor Wyndham Rewards, presenting sponsor BB&T and Premier Partners, Cadillac, Harris Teeter, Lincoln Financial, McConnell Golf, Sunbrella® and VF Corporation for their continued support. Additional tournament information and sponsorship information are available at www.wyndhamchampionship.com. For more information about Wyndham Rewards, please visit www.wyndhamrewards.com. Stay connected with the Wyndham Championship through its social media channels, including the Wyndham Championship Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram.
About Wyndham Rewards:
Named a best travel rewards program for the past three consecutive years by U.S. News and World Report, Wyndham Rewards® is the world’s most generous loyalty program offering members a simple earning structure of a guaranteed 1,000 points for every qualified stay, along with a flat, free night redemption rate of just 15,000 points per room per night – the first of its kind for a major rewards program. Wyndham Rewards members can enjoy the benefits of the program at nearly 9,000 Wyndham Hotels & Resorts properties, as well as thousands of homes and condos in partnership with Wyndham Destinations. Join for free today at www.WyndhamRewards.com You’ve earned this.®
About Wyndham Hotels & Resorts:
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: WH) is the largest hotel franchising Company in the world, with nearly 9,000 hotels across more than 80 countries on six continents. Through its network of approximately 790,000 rooms appealing to the everyday traveler, Wyndham commands a leading presence in both the economy and midscale segments of the lodging industry. The Company operates a portfolio of 20 hotel brands, including Super 8®, Days Inn®, Ramada®, Microtel Inn & Suites®, La Quinta®, Wingate®, AmericInn®, Hawthorn Suites®, The Trademark Collection® and Wyndham®. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts is also a leading provider of hotel management services, with more than 400 properties under management. The Company’s award-winning Wyndham Rewards® loyalty program offers more than 56 million enrolled members the opportunity to redeem points at thousands of hotels, condominiums and holiday homes globally. For more information, visit www.WyndhamHotels.com.
About Wyndham Destinations:
Wyndham Destinations (NYSE: WYND) believes in putting the world on vacation. Our global presence in 110 countries at more than 220 vacation ownership resorts and 4,300+ affiliated exchange properties distinguishes Wyndham Destinations as the world’s largest vacation ownership and exchange company, with North America’s largest professionally managed rental business. Each year our team of 25,000 associates delivers great vacations to millions of families as they make memories of a lifetime. Learn more at www.WyndhamDestinations.com. Our world is your destination.
# # #