Lyle memorial brings perspective to rowdy 16th hole at Waste Management Phoenix Open

The iconic lighthouse is wrapped in plaid as this week’s RBC Heritage celebrates its 50th year on the PGA TOUR. The field includes 14 of the top 30 in the FedExCup, highlighted by No. 2 Patton Kizzire; No. 7 Dustin Johnson, who returns to Harbour Town for the first time since 2009; and No. 13 Paul Casey. Although the relatively relaxed RBC is a welcome reprieve after the Masters, low stress can turn into high stakes in a hurry. Jim Furyk won at Harbour Town and went on to win the entire FedExCup in 2010. (Furyk also won the RBC in 2015.) Dustin Johnson (T10), Marc Leishman (9) and Cameron Smith (5) are among the hot players in the field after posting top-10s at the Masters. Dru Love is playing on a sponsor’s exemption, while his dad, Davis, is a five-time winner here. Luke Donald, meanwhile, has done just about everything but wear the plaid jacket, with five runner-up finishes, two thirds and a T15 since 2009. John Senden makes his first TOUR start since his son started cancer treatments last year, while Wesley Bryan is the defending champ, having edged Donald by a shot. Patrick Cantlay, Ollie Schniederjans and William McGirt tied for third, two back. Harbour Town Golf Links is a 7,099-yard, par-71 Pete Dye design that rewards pinpoint accuracy. Its relatively modest length, small greens, and low-key vibe give the tournament its identity. The RBC Heritage is also the largest professional sporting event in South Carolina. PGA TOUR LIVE Thursday-Friday broadcasts will begin at 7:30 a.m. and end at 6 p.m., with a Twitter window of 7:30-approximately 8:30 a.m. each day. We will move to featured hole coverage at 3 p.m. Featured holes will consist of the 192-yard, par-3 14th, which plays over water and to a green guarded in part by overhanging trees and a pot bunker; and the 174-yard, par-3 17th, where the wind can blow tee shots into the 90-yard bunker on the left, or into the lagoon left of it. Here are the Featured Groups: (Note: All times Eastern; FedExCup ranking in parentheses.) THURSDAY Kevin Kisner (30), Graeme McDowell (121), Jim Furyk (151) Kisner made his Presidents Cup debut last fall, and in his last two starts he’s been T28 at the Masters and runner-up at the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play. That makes him the hottest player in the group, especially given that McDowell and Furyk play at Augusta National last week. Be that as it may, they have something he doesn’t; McDowell (2013) and Furyk (2015, 2010) are past champions at Harbour Town. Tee time: 8 a.m. off 10. Dustin Johnson (7), Wesley Bryan (150), Matt Kuchar (60) Bryan is looking to recapture the form that saw him capture his first victory a year ago. Kuchar, meanwhile, has been a model of consistency with 10 made cuts in 10 starts, his best a T5 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and a T8 at the Houston Open two weeks ago. Johnson has yet to distinguish himself at Harbour Town, where he hasn’t played since 2009 (MC), but the world No. 1 seems to be rounding into form after a top-10 finish at the Masters. Tee time: 8:10 a.m. off 10. FRIDAY Ian Poulter (25), Paul Casey (10), Davis Love III (192) Love says he’s “got a lot of new parts� after hip-replacement surgery last year and injuring his neck snowboarding before that. He is 30 years removed from his first victory at the RBC Heritage, but his institutional knowledge is off the charts after four additional victories at Harbour Town, giving him five total. Casey picked up his first TOUR victory since 2009 at the Valspar Championship, and is coming off a T15 at the Masters in which he threatened the course record. Poulter, meanwhile, is also hot after capturing the Houston Open in a playoff two week ago. Tee time: 8 a.m. off 10. Xander Schauffele (46), Cameron Smith (22), Brandt Snedeker (132) Reigning Rookie of the Year Schauffele has had an uneven sophomore season, while Smith seems to be knocking on the door for his first individual TOUR win after T5 finishes at the Masters and WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. Both players are just 24 years old. The veteran of the group is Snedeker, 37, who is coming off an injury-plagued season but proved he has what it takes at Harbour Town with a victory in 2011. He’s also a former FedExCup champion (2012). Tee time: 8:10 a.m. off 10.  

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Editor’s note: Contributions can be made via GoFundMe at www.gofundme.com/jarrod-lyles-girls. These funds are intended to be rolled into a trust for Jarrod’s daughters, Lusi and Jemma. ST. LOUIS – Rickie Fowler had just shot a 5-under 65 to take the early lead at the 100th PGA Championship, but he bowed his head as his eyes welled with tears. Jason Day got so emotional he had to stop himself during his post-round press conference following his 3-under 67. It was that kind of day at Bellerive as players, fans and others here and around the world continued to react with condolences, donations and grief. Jarrod Lyle, the affable Australian golfer who won twice on the Web.com Tour on the way to an unlikely career on the PGA TOUR, died at age 36 on Wednesday after battling leukemia for half his life. “I was scripted to wear some sort of dark blue shirt,â€� said Fowler, who changed tops in honor of Lyle, known for his signature yellow bucket hat. “So luckily I had a version of yellowish. Yeah, it was tough news yesterday. So definitely happy that we could be here and supporting Jarrod. It’s been a tough few weeks, especially talking with guys that were also close with Jarrod.â€� Former PGA of America employee Erica Stoll, now married to Rory McIlroy, was among those who put together yellow ribbons in the media center Thursday morning. Lyle, who was first diagnosed at 17, left behind his wife, Briony, and two daughters, Lusi and Jemma. Players have reacted with donations and messages of support to the family, the current GoFundMe campaign continuing a fundraising effort that began this year as Lyle battled leukemia for the third time. The January for Jarrod campaign, through youcaring.com, included contributions from many players (Hideki Matsuyama, for instance, donated $50,000) and others in the golf world, as well as donations from the public, with the current total reaching beyond $267,000. The fundraising effort for the family ramped up with the news last week that Lyle’s body, ravaged by years of fighting the disease, was no longer responding to treatment and he would be going into hospice care at his home in Victoria. At last week’s Barracuda Championship, young fellow Australian pro Grant Booth won a $50,000 bonus for playing the 18th hole the best over the four days, a stipend that was to be split two ways, half going to Reno-area charities and half to a charity of Booth’s choice, the Lyle family. Earlier this week, Bryson DeChambeau won $25,000 for charity for winning the long-drive contest at Bellerive, and also directed the money to the Lyle family. “The story, it’s so sad,â€� DeChambeau said. “His kids are suffering, obviously. The whole family is. I thought it’d be the right thing to give it to Lusi and Jemma. They deserve that more than anything right now.â€�     The Tiger Woods Foundation announced a $10,000 contribution. Several others have stepped up anonymously. Donations continue to come in to the Lyle Children’s Family Trust. “I lived across the street from him when we first started out in Orlando,â€� said Day, among the numerous Australian golfers who were tight with Lyle. “He’s a good buddy of mine. It’s obviously heartbreaking to see. I’ve known Jarrod for a long time, and, obviously, my thoughts and prayers go out to Bri and the two kids.â€� Day and others consoled one another as they reminisced about a fun-loving big man with a big game. He was also a fighter, Day noted, beating back the disease three times. Some, like Day and Adam Scott, knew him well. Others met him in passing, and others still knew him only through stories. “Even guys that didn’t know him, hadn’t met him, they never heard anything but good things,â€� Fowler said. “The legend of Jarrod lives on. “I played quite a bit with him my first few years out on TOUR,â€� Fowler added, “and I loved how he was so kind of free-spirited and fun-loving. It didn’t really matter how his day was going or how he was playing, he was always happy or was going to try to make your day better. He wasn’t too worried about himself. He was just a fun guy to be around.â€� Fowler recalled how much it had meant to him to be in Australia for the World Cup and get to play in the benefit tournament for Challenge, the organization supporting kids with cancer fronted by Lyle and friend and fellow TOUR pro Robert Allenby. Lyle was always doing for others; it was nice to do something for him, Fowler said at Bellerive, where he wore a pin of Leuk the Duck, the Challenge mascot, front and center on his cap Thursday. The news of Lyle’s passing hit him especially hard in part because he’d just spoken to him. “I was lucky enough to be able to talk to him last Friday, so one thing that did help is hearing kind of from him how he felt,â€� Fowler said. “He sounded like he was in a good spot. … It’s been fun to be thinking about him while we’re out there playing, because he would probably be the one to kind of kick you in the butt if you started feeling sad or bad, he would kind of give you a hard time and tell you to man up or something along those lines. Maybe not those same words. “It’s been enjoyable celebrating his life,â€� he added, “and we’ll continue to do that.â€�

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Patrick Reed opens the FedExCup Playoffs with his second victory at THE NORTHERN TRUST. Here’s a look at Reed’s equipment: Driver: Ping G400 (9 degrees) Shaft: Aldila Rogue Silver 70TX Fairway Wood: TaylorMade M6 Shaft: Aldila Rogue Silver 80TX Driving Iron: Titleist U-500 (3 iron) Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold X100 AMT  Irons: Callaway X Forged 2013 (4 iron), Callaway Razr MB (5-PW) Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X100 Tour Issue Wedges: Artisan Golf (51 degrees), Titleist Vokey SM7 (56 and 60 degrees) Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold S400 Tour Issue Putter: Odyssey White Hot Pro 3 Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1 Grips: Golf Pride MCC

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