AJGA Event Renamed Wyndham Invitational; 2018 Tournament Moves to Sedgefield Dye Course

AJGA EVENT RENAMED WYNDHAM INVITATIONAL; 2018 TOURNAMENT MOVES TO SEDGEFIELD DYE COURSE

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The AJGA event founded in Greensboro in 2002 has a new name – the Wyndham Invitational presented by BB&T, and the 2018 event will be played at Sedgefield Country Club’s Dye Course, the tournament announced today. The 17th annual Wyndham Invitational is set for June 12-15, 2018.

After a two-year tribute to the Haas Family in recognition of its long-term relationship with the Piedmont Triad’s PGA TOUR event, the AJGA event now becomes the Wyndham Invitational. The Wyndham Championship’s strategy is to establish relationships with future PGA TOUR golfers during their high school careers through the AJGA event; naming the tournament the Wyndham Invitational presented by BB&T was the logical choice.

“Now we have the Wyndham Invitational presented by BB&T and the Wyndham Cup (the AJGA’s Ryder Cup-Style competition), which are both major events on the AJGA schedule,” tournament director Mark Brazil said. “Both of these events will help our long-term Wyndham Championship recruiting efforts, and we can’t thank BB&T and Wyndham enough for partnering with us on these two important amateur events. Their support allows us to achieve our goal of building long-term relationships with the best junior golfers in the world. Our hope is that the kids will remember the great experience they had at the Wyndham Invitational and come back often as pros to play the Wyndham Championship.”

With the Piedmont Triad enduring one of its most severe winters ever, many local golf courses with Bermudagrass endured extensive “winter kill.” Because Sedgefield’s Ross Course, home of the Wyndham Championship, is still recovering, this year’s AJGA Wyndham Invitational will be played at its original home, Sedgefield’s Dye Course.

The Wyndham Invitational was last played at the Dye Course in 2012 when the Ross Course greens were being converted to Champion Bermudagrass. Matthew NeSmith, who played college golf at the University of South Carolina and is working to establish himself as a professional golfer, won the tournament that year.

Prior to the founding of the Wyndham Invitational in 2002, the AJGA event was played at the Dye Course as an event for both boys and girls. In 2002, the event moved to Forest Oaks Country Club and became an Invitational for boys only; since then it has prospered as a major event on the AJGA schedule boasting a field including many of the finest junior golfers in the world. The Wyndham Invitational moved to Sedgefield Country Club in 2008.

Sedgefield’s Dye Course, designed by Pete Dye, opened in 1975 as one of the Piedmont Triad’s most challenging layouts. In 2007, Dye restored the course providing a longer challenge that retained its unique and demanding qualities. The Wyndham Invitational will return to Sedgefield Country Club’s Ross Course in 2019.

The Wyndham Invitational schedule remains the same as past years with the Junior-Am fundraising event set for Monday afternoon, June 11. Official tournament play begins Tuesday, June 12 and concludes Friday, June 15. Tournament admission is free of charge; for additional information, please visit www.ajga.org.