GREENSBORO, N.C. – Bobby Powell, the Wyndham Championship operations director since 2004, is the new Wyndham Championship tournament director, effective immediately. Current tournament director, Mark Brazil, is now CEO of the Piedmont Triad Charitable Foundation which oversees Wyndham Championship tournament operations. The 82nd annual Wyndham Championship concluded yesterday when Kevin Kisner holed a three-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole to defeat five other playoff contenders.
Powell, 49, came to the Wyndham Championship in 2004 after eight years at the American Junior Golf Association where he served as director of tournament operations and later vice president of operations. Prior to his employment at the AJGA, he served as an AJGA intern in 1996 and met Brazil during that time. He was recruited to the Wyndham Championship by Brazil who had begun two years earlier as the tournament’s first professional tournament director.
A native of Reno, Nev., who grew up in Salina, Kan., Powell played golf at Baker University before transferring to the University of Kansas where he earned a BGS in United States history.
“It’s exciting,” Powell said. “It’s something, in my professional career, that I’d thought about and wanted for quite some time. We’d been talking about it for a little while now, so probably more than anything else, it was a matter of time, and the time is now.
“I don’t think a seismic change is coming; it’s not a brand-new thing for my role or Mark’s role. He’s still going to be involved in the golf tournament; he’s not going anywhere. He’s taking on some new responsibilities and projects as the head of our foundation, which then leads to me taking on some of his old tasks and responsibilities as tournament director.”
In his new role, Brazil will continue to oversee the Wyndham Championship but will focus on the Piedmont Triad Charitable Foundation’s efforts to develop a live music scene in central North Carolina that will, in time, evolve into a music destination for rising stars. The Foundation aims to host up-and-coming music stars in local venues throughout the year and during the Wyndham Championship tying a in a major concert during tournament week.
“I am incredibly proud of Bobby and confident in his ability to be an exceptional tournament director,” Brazil said. “I kind of wanted to get to my 20th year, but Bobby’s ready. He’s been our operations director for 17 years, and before that, he learned tournament operations at the AJGA. There’s no doubt he’s the best operations director on the entire PGA TOUR, and it’s time; he’s earned this, and he deserves this opportunity. I’ll continue to oversee our fundraising and things like that, but Bobby will take on more responsibility and become the leader of the tournament.”
“People are asking me who will be the new operations director, but we haven’t really formalized all the details,” Powell added. “My role won’t be 100 percent different; neither will Mark’s but it will be somewhere in between. We’ll spend the next few weeks making those plans as we put a bow on the 2021 tournament and begin focusing on 2022.”
And as for Kisner’s victory in yesterday’s six-man playoff which tied the record for largest playoff in PGA TOUR history?
“I’ll let Mark take credit for that; it was a nice way for him to go out on his 20th anniversary as tournament director. I don’t know how you top a six-man playoff unless you have seven which was a real possibility had Russell Henley kept going. That (Henley’s bogey on the 72nd hole) was a shame; I felt for him after leading all week until the very end. Russell played in our AJGA Wyndham Invitational, and there’s a lot of those guys that are hard not to root for after we’ve watched them come up through the AJGA ranks. We can’t expect playoffs and finishes like that ever year, but it sure was fun to have it this year.”
Powell and his wife, Cari, live in Greensboro and have two children.
About the Wyndham Championship:
Contested annually on the Donald Ross-designed course at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C., the Wyndham Championship was founded in 1938 and is the sixth-oldest event on the PGA TOUR excluding the Majors. The tournament thanks title sponsor Wyndham Rewards and presenting sponsor Truist for their continued support. Additional tournament information is available at www.wyndhamchampionship.com and the tournament’s social media channels, including the Wyndham Championship Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram.
About Wyndham Rewards:
Named the number one hotel rewards program by readers of USA TODAY, Wyndham Rewards® is the world’s most generous rewards program with more than 50,000 hotels, vacation club resorts and vacation rentals worldwide. Designed for the everyday traveler, members earn a guaranteed 1,000 points with every qualified stay and may redeem points for a range of rewards, including free nights at approximately 9,000 hotels or tens of thousands of vacation club resorts and vacation rentals globally through affiliation with Wyndham Destinations and others. Wyndham Rewards has 89 million enrolled members around the globe. Join for free today at www.wyndhamrewards.com. You’ve earned this.®
About Wyndham Hotels & Resorts:
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: WH) is the world’s largest hotel franchising company by the number of properties, with approximately 9,000 hotels across nearly 95 countries on six continents. Through its network of approximately 798,000 rooms appealing to the everyday traveler, Wyndham commands a leading presence in the economy and midscale segments of the lodging industry. The Company operates a portfolio of 21 hotel brands, including Super 8®, Days Inn®, Ramada®, Microtel®, La Quinta®, Baymont®, Wingate®, AmericInn®, Hawthorn Suites®, Trademark Collection® and Wyndham®. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts is also a leading provider of hotel management services. The Company’s award-winning Wyndham Rewards® loyalty program offers 89 million enrolled members the opportunity to redeem points at thousands of hotels, vacation club resorts and vacation rentals globally. For more information, visit www.wyndhamhotels.com.
About Wyndham Destinations:
Wyndham Destinations is the world’s largest vacation ownership business operating more than 245 vacation club resorts around the world that offer a contemporary take on the timeshare model. The brand portfolio – featuring Club Wyndham®, WorldMark® by Wyndham, Margaritaville Vacation Club® by Wyndham, and Shell Vacations Club – offers travelers the chance to own their vacation and explore places they’ve never visited before, year after year. More than 850,000 owners enjoy stays in a home away from home, featuring spacious suites with separate bedrooms, fully-equipped kitchens, living and dining areas, as well as resort-style amenities and services. Learn more at WyndhamDestinations.com.
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