Major Champions Sandy Lyle, Tom Kite and Ian Woosnam Commit to 2016 Pacific Links Championship

 Strong field continues to build for September event on PGA TOUR Champions

 Victoria, B.C. (August 2, 2016) – World Golf Hall of Fame members Sandy Lyle and Tom Kite, along with 1991 Masters Tournament winner Ian Woosnam, have committed to play the 2016 Pacific Links Championship. The event will be contested on Bear Mountain Golf Resort’s Mountain Course in Victoria, British Columbia the week of September 19-25, 2016, featuring a US$2.5 million purse, with 81 players competing for a winner’s share of $440,000.

Lyle, who was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2012, was one of the game’s more prolific stars throughout the 1980s, claiming the 1985 Open Championship at Royal St. George’s and the 1988 Masters Tournament, where his 72^nd-hole fairway bunker shot became one of the most memorable moments in major championship history.

The five-time European Ryder Cup team member posted 20 additional combined wins between the PGA TOUR and European Tour, but is still in search of his first victory on the PGA TOUR Champions. Lyle earned a career-best runner-up finish in the 2015 Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf at Big Cedar Lodge, where he paired alongside Woosnam in the annual team event.

Throughout his career, Kite has been known as one of the game’s premier grinders, straightest hitters and best putters. The Austin, TX native collected 19 PGA TOUR titles throughout his Hall of Fame career, including the 1992 U.S. Open, when he famously defeated an arduous Pebble Beach Golf Links course during some of the most difficult final-round conditions in tournament history.

Kite’s Masters Tournament record was full of near-misses, with nine career top-five finishes at Augusta National, including runner-up efforts during two of the events most historic weeks – in 1986, when Jack Nicklaus claimed his sixth and final title, and in 1997, when Tiger Woods shocked the golf world with a dramatic 12-shot victory.

On PGA TOUR Champions, the 66-year-old has recorded 10 career titles, including a major championship at the 2000 Regions Tradition.

Woosnam’s notoriety in the United States was defined by the 1991 Masters title, where he defeated Jose Maria Olazabal by one shot with a dramatic par putt on the 72^nd hole. As a native of Wales, however, his fame was much larger abroad, with 28 career victories on the European Tour and eight appearances in the Ryder Cup – five of which either won or retained the Cup for Europe. Woosnam was a non-playing captain for Europe’s 2006 team in the biennial event.

The 58-year-old won the 2015 Insperity Invitational for his first PGA TOUR Champions title, defeating former Charles Schwab Cup winners Tom Lehman and Kenny Perry in a playoff.

“We are ecstatic to add these three major champions to our field at the Pacific Links Championship,” said Tournament Director David Skitt. “The field for this event continues to strengthen with each new commitment, and I am looking forward to a fantastic week of golf for players and fans at Bear Mountain Resort.”

World Golf Hall of Fame member Bernhard Langer and Two-time major champion John Daly have also committed to the 2016 Pacific Links Championship and will join other golf greats Rocco Mediate, Lee Janzen, Jesper Parnevik, Mark Calcavecchia, Jeff Sluman, and Larry Mize for what is sure to be a great event.

Tournament week in Victoria will begin with Pro-Ams on Wednesday, September 21 and Thursday, September 22, followed by 54 holes of championship play from Friday, September 23 through Sunday, September 25 – with no cut. All three competitive rounds will be broadcast live by Golf Channel to more than 200 million homes in 84 countries and 11 languages around the world.

The Pacific Links Championship is now accepting volunteer submissions for the tournament. With less than two months remaining until the event, we encourage everyone to be a part of the action by becoming a volunteer. The Pacific Links Championship team of volunteers consist of avid golfers, fans of the game and people looking for a fun and exciting “inside the ropes” experience.

To register as a volunteer simply visit the tournament website at http://www.pacificlinkschampionship.com/ and click the REGISTER TO VOLUNTEER button to the left of the screen.

Tickets are also on-sale for this premier event and can be purchased at www.selectyourtickets.com or by clicking HERE. Fans can choose from the following ticket options:

• Weekly Pass – Wednesday through Sunday: $99 (includes parking / Official Program)
• Daily Pass – Friday, Saturday or Sunday: $40
• Pro-Am Daily Pass – Wednesday or Thursday: $25
• Champions Club VIP Pass – Friday through Sunday: $200.00