Sandy Lyle is one of the best European golfers to ever play the game, with the Scot a two-time Major winner and World Golf Hall of Famer. However, at the Galleri Classic, a PGA Tour Champions event, the 65-year-old revealed that "this is the last one," with Lyle reportedly set to tee it up at The Masters in April for the 43rd and final time.
Prior to teeing off in the Champions Tour event, the Scot spoke to the media and was asked "is this your last event?" Lyle's reaction was a simple "yes it is", with the 18-time European Tour winner adding "you know, I've been travelling for 50 odd years now and I know the Champions Tour is a travelling circus, like all the other Tours, and you get to know the guys you play with and compete with and I'll miss them a certain amount."
The Hall of Famer is hanging it up ...One last round for Sandy Lyle @GalleriClassic 👏 pic.twitter.com/aMoEDYO9t3March 26, 2023
Although Lyle has called time on his incredible career, he admitted that he'll "still see them a lot on the television," adding "I can sit up in the house in Scotland and watch virtually every detail, like who has gone where etc, and then obviously the Majors, so it makes it exciting."
According to reports, Lyle will be present at Augusta National, with The Masters set to be his final swansong, an event which he famously won in 1988 after hitting one of the most iconic bunker shots in golf history.
Along with the success in Georgia, Lyle also won The Open Championship in 1985, featured in five Ryder Cup sides, won The Players Championship in 1987 and even picked up six PGA Tour and 18 European Tour titles, including three European Tour Order of Merits.
See you soon big fella at the champions dinner and let’s make sure we celebrate 55 years of playing together 👍 https://t.co/1EUosZTLHkMarch 26, 2023
I played with all of the best in the ‘80’s and ‘90’s. I can categorically say that NOBODY made the game look easier and less complicated than Sandy. Maybe the best long-iron player in history and, as a bonus, he’s one of the nicest men to grace any tour.March 26, 2023
Hearing the news of his retirement, fellow Masters winner, Ian Woosnam reacted with a tweet, stating: "See you soon big fella at the champions dinner and let’s make sure we celebrate 55 years of playing together."
Along with Woosnam, Tony Johnstone commented on a post, tweeting: "I played with all of the best in the ‘80’s and ‘90’s. I can categorically say that NOBODY made the game look easier and less complicated than Sandy. Maybe the best long-iron player in history and, as a bonus, he’s one of the nicest men to grace any tour."
Such was the talent of Lyle that, during his peak in the 80s and 90, Seve Ballesteros claimed that Lyle had "the greatest God-given talent in history. If everyone in the world was playing their best, Sandy would win and I’d come second.”
Seve Ballesteros on Sandy Lyle during his peak - "The greatest God-given talent in history. If everyone in the world was playing their best, Sandy would win and I’d come second.” pic.twitter.com/WklRSvjg57March 23, 2020
