Bay Hill to host 2012 Wyndham Cup

Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge, site of the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard and one of Golfweek’s “Best Courses You Can Play”, is set to host the annual Wyndham Cup in 2012.

“We are extremely excited to travel to Orlando, Fla., to the Bay Hill Club & Lodge,” said Jason Ross, AJGA Vice President of Tournament Development. “The combination of the excellent PGA TOUR venue with one of the most unique events on the AJGA schedule is sure to provide a great week of golf with plenty of excitement.”

Opened in 1961, the par-72 championship course tops out at over 7,200 yards and features a challenging layout for players of all abilities. Originally designed by Dick Wilson and more recently redesigned by owner Arnold Palmer, the course has hosted a PGA TOUR event each year since 1979.

The AJGA’s Wyndham Cup brings together 40 of the nation’s top juniors in an East-versus-West team match play tournament. With the Mississippi River as the border that separates East from West, the top 10 boys and top 10 girls from each side are selected based on the Polo Golf Rankings, which reward top finishes in national junior golf events.

Notable past players from the East Team include Bubba Watson, Matt Kuchar, Bill Haas, Cristie Kerr and Morgan Pressel. Past participants from the West include Tiger Woods, Hunter Mahan, Rickie Fowler, Grace Park and Paula Creamer.

The 22^nd edition of the matchup in 2011 saw the East Team take home its first Cup since 2004. After two days of back-and-forth competition, the East girls were the difference in the final day, winning nine of the 10 girls’ singles matches to secure the win, 32 - 18. The West Team leads the all-time competition with a 12-9-1 record.