IOC Executive Board recommends golf for 2024 Olympic Games

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AKRON, Ohio – Adam Scott sat in the Firestone Country Club locker room Monday and cried upon hearing the news about his good friend, Jarrod Lyle. He was a shattered man. As a father himself, his heart started to break for Jarrod’s two young daughters. And he wasn’t alone. It was the toughest of days. Former Open Championship winner and now well-respected commentator Ian Baker-Finch cried for an hour before he could contemplate starting his day. When Geoff Ogilvy heard the news at the airport, he let out a few audible expletives in disbelief. For a moment, he couldn’t contain his shock before catching himself and hoping the elderly lady walking past had not heard his outburst. Ogilvy couldn’t really face it right away. He asked for some time to process it. I understood fully. Only hours earlier, I awoke to read the update on Jarrod’s social media accounts. “My heart breaks as I type this message …,â€� it began. I was paralyzed. How Briony Lyle was able to summon the strength to pen those words shows what a rock Jarrod’s amazing wife has been. “Earlier today Jarrod made the decision to stop active treatment and begin palliative care. He has given everything that he’s got to give, and his poor body cannot take anymore. We’ll be taking him closer to home in the next couple of days so he can finally leave the hospital.â€� The greatest fighter I have ever known just couldn’t go another round. Three times with acute myeloid leukemia. Three. He beat it three times also. Right now there is no cancer in his body. But the toll of treatments finally broke him. His sight and speech started to fail at times. The trademark weight stripped from his figure. But it didn’t beat his mind. Nothing ever could. Nothing can take away the infectious personality of this man. Anyone who ever met him has nothing but good things to say about him. Which is why this is so emotional. It is why people all over the world have drawn inspiration from him. “Perhaps one of the greatest reality checks that life is just not always fair,â€� good friend and fellow golfer Greg Chalmers says. No it is not fair. In this case it is particularly not fair. Jarrod always puts others first, no matter what he’s going through. He never complains about his lot in life. Even today – as the realization comes that the end is near – Lyle was thinking of others. “I feel like I am the luckiest golfer going around because so many people took an interest in me and took an interest in my fight,â€� he emotionally told Golf Australia’s podcast, “Inside the Ropes.â€� “And to have so many friends around the world, whether they are spectators, whether they are golfers, whether they’re marshals whatever … to have that kind of support to go to every tournament is a great feeling and it is going to be hard to leave that behind. “But they know that I love them, they know that all the fighting I did do was to get back out and play golf again and to have the support from all those people was just a tremendous feeling. “It is going to be hard but at some point, it is going to happen and they will get on with their lives and I just feel very, very lucky.â€� We could all aspire to be half the person Jarrod Lyle is. He’s thanking us when we should be thanking him. His way of life is what came to Scott’s mind as he wiped away his tears. “I can’t imagine being in that position; it’s unthinkable,â€� Scott says. “He is one of the best blokes there is. Given all the difficulties he’s had since his late teens, he has lived the best life he could with the tough cards he has been dealt. “He has done better than anyone would have. He was out on TOUR for so long, playing such good golf while battling illness. He has been through it all. His positivity and general demeanor have been so good and so infectious on others; it’s a good way to think of how I should live my life.â€� In just being himself, Lyle inspires so many. He was basically bedridden for nine months as a teenager with the disease. Just surviving was impressive. Returning to golf was amazing. Making it to the Web.com Tour was a massive feat. Winning twice there? Almost unthinkable. But Lyle did it. He was a poster child for overcoming the odds. In 2011, Lyle lost his TOUR card before winning it back at Q-School. He credited the performance at the six-round event to the fact he was about to marry Briony and they’d found out she was pregnant – something doctors said would be unlikely. Life was good. He proved it by posting his best-ever TOUR finish – a T4 at the Genesis Open in early 2012. But then his world would be hammered with the news the leukemia had returned. With his daughter due any day, Lyle tried to keep the diagnosis quiet until after the birth. But word got out and this meant I had to try to make a call and get confirmation. At 7 a.m. in the morning where Lyle was in Australia, he took my call. He didn’t have to. But he did. He then proceeded to apologize profusely for not letting me know sooner. Not giving me the story first. That’s right. In this most dire time, Lyle’s concern was on some silly idea that he owed me this knowledge. Of course I told Jarrod to stop being ridiculous. I didn’t care if I was the last to know. But once again he was thinking of others first, even if misguidedly. Doctors induced labor that day to give Jarrod a chance to meet – and spend at least one day with – his little girl. He held Lusi almost exclusively in those 24 hours and then of course apologized for it. Not a soul on earth would begrudge him those hours. There was a distinct chance it would be the only ones he’d get. “I was selfish and I’m sorry about that. But I just laid there for a few hours as she slept and just stared at her,â€� he told me later that year. “There were a few times I just broke out in tears as I tried to piece together what I am going to go through in the next few months and I just didn’t want to let her go.â€� He would thankfully get more hours with her after once again coming through the other side. And phenomenally Lyle made it all the way back to the TOUR, playing 20 more times in 2015 and 2016 before deciding to move back to Australia for good. It was time to give Lusi the focus. And Gemma was also coming into the world. Lyle might not have been on the TOUR anymore, but he was forging ahead. He started selling golf apparel and dabbling in commentary work. His goal of being at life’s little moments for his daughters was coming true and he was once again at peace. Then strike three – the cancer returned again late last year. Despite a haploidentical transplant seemingly going well, Lyle found himself still struggling, leaving him in his current predicament. And so as he spends his final moments with those close to him, I choose to remember all the good times. And they are plenty. Because the other thing to know about Jarrod is he always left you smiling. He’s what Australians call a larrikin. Someone who has a mischievous streak. A wickedly sharp sense of humor. But someone who also has a kind heart. Put simply, Jarrod is a great bloke. He made me smile the minute I met him. And I can truly say every single time I was with Jarrod, I walked away both happier and as a better man. He is just real. Jarrod will look you in the eye, most likely call you something that I can’t write here and follow it up with a line that had you in stiches. His cursing is legendary – but in Australia, this is the norm between male friends. After the laughs, he would immediately ask about you. How’s your family? How are you? What have you been up to? How can I help you? Chalmers remembers betting Lyle during one tournament that he couldn’t play 18 holes without swearing. Lyle took the bet confidently but lost after mouthing a few and trying to claim that didn’t count. Marc Leishman says Jarrod’s always been that way. As youngsters at the Victorian Institute of Sport, Lyle’s trademark was leaving the facility like a NASCAR driver celebrating a victory. “He’d always leave some rubber on the road,â€� Leishman laughs. “And you could see it under his wheel well. Every tournament we drove to, he was always leading the charge. The parking lot looked like the start of a race track. “Jarrod is always the life of the party – yet he is the sensible one also. You can’t mistake his big happy voice. Every room he enters immediately gets happier.â€� Jarrod figured out what made particular people smile, what their humor was, and nailed it. He has a way to get at everyone. Jason Day was never safe on the practice greens. Lyle would always sidle past him and break wind at just the right moment. When recalling it, Day still laughs. I ended up the brunt of many of his jokes – particularly if in the vicinity of a handful of the other Aussie golfers – and still loved him more and more. Because what I have come to realize, is it was Jarrod’s way of including me in the Aussie golf fraternity. A signal to the others that this kid is OK. He’s one of us. He opened doors for me into their world. I last saw Jarrod in November at the Australian Open. He was about to go into treatment for the third time but was still cracking jokes while hanging out at a stall in the spectator village selling underwear and belts. Multiple players came and bought his product, sat down, had a chat. We talked for a story on a golf cart as Lusi ran around playing nearby. She approached as he was talking specifics of treatment and he paused, picked her up in a bear hug, and gently asked her to run over to her mother for a minute while he finished our chat. Of course, then he apologized for the interruption. I stared blankly and apologized to him. Who was I to take up his time with that beautiful little girl. So I wrapped it up quickly – and purchased some undies and a belt. Those who know me know this belt. The buckle is the Australian flag and I have worn it every single day on TOUR since. It reminds me of both my heritage and my mate and how he lives life. It reminds me to strive to be like Jarrod. And in the grand scheme of things I barely know him. Others have known him much longer and have drawn from his strength. As that promising young golfer, Jarrod was visited by Robert Allenby in the hospital. Allenby told him he needed to beat the disease and come play a round of golf with him. Allenby’s greatest achievement has been his dedication and amazing work with Challenge – a children’s cancer foundation in Australia that Jarrod was a beneficiary of and is now a champion of their cause. The four-time PGA TOUR winner knew his offer was a long shot and figured hey, hopefully they could at least hit a few shots, maybe putt around a bit and just talk about life. “I was so happy when he made it through and came out to play a few times,â€� Allenby recalled in an emotional phone conversation. “We developed a bond and a friendship. Became the best of mates. And he became better than I thought he could ever be at the game. He said I was part of the inspiration to get there – but in reality, he was inspiring me on every step of that journey. “He inspires us all. His great personality, his showmanship, his loyalty. He is just a really good classy guy. And he was everything golf needed. “In a world where you can sometimes lose perspective, Jarrod is always that guy who reminds you without trying to.â€� The countless outpourings of support for Jarrod over social media haven’t been a surprise. So to Jarrod – let me end by saying this. You say you are the luckiest golfer in the world. But it is us who are lucky. To have known you, to have been around you, to be inspired by you now and forever. We love you.

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NEWBURGH, Ind. – Three years ago, Justin Lower faced a 7-foot birdie putt on the final hole of the Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance. The stakes were clear. With a birdie, Lower would earn his first PGA TOUR card via The Finals 25. Par, and the final spot would go to Lower’s good friend and frequent trivia buddy Jim Knous. Lower’s putt burned the edge, and he returned to the Korn Ferry Tour for 2019. And 2020. And 2021, with the COVID-19 pandemic hiatus leading to a combined 2020-21 Korn Ferry Tour season. More than 600 days since the 2020-21 Korn Ferry Tour commenced at The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay, the season concludes Sunday at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance, contested at sprawling, demanding Victoria National GC in southern Indiana. Once again, Lower is central to the drama. The 11th-year pro enters the final round of the Korn Ferry Tour Championship in a tie for ninth on the leaderboard – and crucially projected No. 21 on The Finals 25. After made cuts in the first two of three Korn Ferry Tour Finals events, the Ohio native knew a solid – not spectacular week – at Victoria National GC could mean the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. Unlike past years, though, Lower has vowed to live in his own bubble throughout the week as much as possible. He hasn’t checked leaderboards. He hasn’t scanned projections on the PGA TOUR app. With a tunnel-vision approach, the Malone University alum has navigated Victoria National GC to the tune of 70-70-68, positioning himself to secure that elusive PGA TOUR card with a solid Sunday. Lower knows the work is not yet done, and that Sunday will present the ultimate test of the personal and professional growth he has seen in the past two or three years. The 32-year-old is looking forward to it. “It means everything,” said an emotional Lower after Saturday’s third round, when asked to contextualize the weekend implications at Victoria National GC. “You saw (Scott) Gutschewski’s interview last week (after securing a PGA TOUR card at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship) … you saw Callum (Tarren)’s interview last week. If you don’t feel anything watching those two guys talk about what it means, then I don’t think you understand what we’re playing for. “I mean, it’s everything.” After The 25 PGA TOUR cards were awarded upon the conclusion of the Korn Ferry Tour Regular Season-ending Pinnacle Bank Championship presented by Aetna in mid-August, the three-event Korn Ferry Tour Finals represents a second opportunity to attain 2021-22 PGA TOUR membership via the Korn Ferry Tour. Four players crossed the 210-Point, fail-safe threshold to secure a TOUR card at the Finals-opening Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron – J.J. Spaun, Aaron Rai, Lucas Herbert and Matthias Schwab. Another five players cemented 2021-22 TOUR membership via The Finals 25 at last week’s Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship – Bronson Burgoon, Vincent Whaley, Alex Smalley and the aforementioned Gutschewski and Tarren. After a T4 finish last week in Columbus, Pepperdine alum Sahith Theegala secured his spot in The Finals 25 by virtue of making the cut at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship. Fifteen spots remain up for grabs, setting the stage for a wild Sunday at Victoria National. “Everybody is out here trying to get a PGA TOUR card for next year,” reflected veteran Trey Mullinax, who holds the 54-hole tournament lead at 14-under, one stroke ahead of Joseph Bramlett. “We know what’s at stake. We know what’s happening.” Mullinax entered the week at T25 on The Finals 25, squarely on the bubble, and has played his way into strong position with rounds of 63-71-68 in southern Indiana. Although the University of Alabama alum is currently projected No. 1 on The Finals 25, he knows the three-event nature of Finals Points makes for volatile projections as the weekend progresses. Anything can happen at Victoria National, particularly on the water- and trouble-infested back nine. Take Taylor Montgomery, who carded a second-round 85 – including two double bogeys, a triple bogey and quadruple bogey on his final five holes Friday – to miss the cut and leave his fate in the hands of the field. Montgomery entered the week at No. 14 on The Finals 25, and his projection has alternated inside and outside The Finals 25 over the course of the weekend. Entering Sunday’s final round, the UNLV alum is projected No. 24. Montgomery is no stranger to the bubble. The Korn Ferry Tour rookie stood No. 24 on The 25 into the Regular Season-ending Pinnacle Bank Championship, only to miss the cut and ultimately finish No. 26, passed by Austin Smotherman and David Skinns. Interestingly, Peter Uihlein – who entered the Pinnacle Bank Championship at No. 25 on The Finals 25, only to miss the cut and fall outside – is currently projected No. 25 on The Finals 25. He stands T62 into Sunday at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship. In addition to Lower, several players will go to bed Saturday knowing they’re one solid day from securing a PGA TOUR dream. Missouri alum Hayden Buckley, who began the season with conditional status and entered the week at T12 on The Finals 25, stands T4 into Sunday at Victoria National. He’s projected No. 7 on The Finals 25. Central Oklahoma alum Joshua Creel, who gained Finals entry via a late-season surge including a victory at the Utah Championship presented by Zions Bank, stands T9 into Sunday at Victoria National. He’s projected No. 13 on The Finals 25. UNLV product Kurt Kitayama, who has played everywhere from the Korn Ferry Tour to the European Tour and Asian Tour, currently holds the distinction of projected No. 26 on The Finals 25. The 28-year-old California native carded a third-round 68 at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship to move into T14 for the week, giving himself a chance at his first TOUR card. Uniquely, Kitayama and Montgomery were college teammates – and Montgomery’s ultimate TOUR fate could be tied to that of Kitayama come Sunday afternoon. “It means a lot,” said Kitayama of Sunday’s implications. “It would be really big. I want to play in the U.S., and that would be really cool.” Sunday’s play will be contested in threesomes off two tees, with tee times running from 7:40 a.m. CT to 9:52 a.m. CT. With fifteen more TOUR cards to determine upon the conclusion of play Sunday at Victoria National, volatility is sure to ensue throughout Sunday morning and early afternoon. It’s no exaggeration to say, in the words of Hilary Duff, this is what dreams are made of. “I’ve grown a lot in the last two years, and I just want to be happy,” reflected Lower as the sun set Saturday in southern Indiana. “Obviously good golf makes a lot of people happy, but it’s not everything. “I’ve just really grown as a person the last two or three years, and I just want to take it into tomorrow and give it my all and see if it’s enough.”

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