Former PGA touring pro Lyn Lott, 67, of Douglas, has passed away after complications following surgery on Oct. 25, 2017, at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta to remove a brain tumor. Doctors discovered the tumor on Oct. 23, 2017.
Surgeons were able to remove nearly all of tumor; however, except for a few brief moments since the surgery, Lott had remained unconscious. A series of complications prevented Lott’s recovery and he passed quietly in the early morning hours of March 22, 2018.
Lott attended the University of Georgia where he lettered four years in golf, was All SEC in 1971 and 1972, and helped lead the Bulldogs to four straight SEC Championships. Lott won the Georgia Open in 1967 and the Georgia Amateur in 1972. He was a member of the PGA Tour from 1974 to 1984. Lott finished third in three PGA events and tied for seventh at the U.S. Open in 1977. He is a member of the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame and the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame.
One of only a handful of professional athletes Coffee County has ever produced, Lott was a humble and gentle man who always had a smile on his face and a kind word for everyone he encountered. Underneath his quiet demeanor, however, was the heart of a tremendous competitor. Lott’s athletic prowess extended far beyond the golf course and no matter what the event or activity, he refused to lose. That competitive spirit kept him near the top of one of the most demanding sports in the world for the better part of a decade.
After retiring from the PGA Tour, Lott worked for one of his family’s businesses, Lott Properties. He remained an ambassador for the sport of golf, the University of Georgia, and Douglas and Coffee County. Lott was popular at Georgia alumni events and was well-liked by fans throughout the Bulldog Nation. His death leaves a void that will not soon be filled.
Lyn Lott is survived by his wife, Sheryl; son and daughter-in-law Clint and Benita Lott and their two children, Mack and Nora; and daughter and son-in-law Lorra and Kyle Byrd, and their two children, Jocelyn and Lott.