The Lucky Bench

How a backyard seat beside Sedgefield’s 18th fairway became a Wyndham Championship Pro-Am tradition

The Boss Family reflects on the visitors, players, and friends who have stopped by for photos.

Sungjae Im (left) and George Boss (right) and friends post for a quick photo on the Lucky Bench

When George and Kim Boss moved into their home alongside the 18th fairway at Sedgefield Country Club in 2013, an old bench came with the property. They refurbished it, placed it near the course and could not have imagined the PGA TOUR tradition that would follow.

Sergio Garcia was the first professional to stop during the Wyndham Championship Pro-Am. Since then, more than 60 players — including Webb Simpson, Brandt Snedeker, Henrik Stenson, Jordan Spieth, J.T. Poston and Cameron Young — have posed for photographs on what has become known as the “Lucky Bench.”

The name has proven fitting. Snedeker visited the bench before shooting a 59 and winning the 2018 Wyndham Championship. Cameron Young stopped by during the 2024 tournament, then captured his first PGA TOUR victory at Sedgefield the following year.

With the 2026 Wyndham Championship approaching, the Bosses reflected on how a simple bench became part of tournament week at Sedgefield.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

How long have you been members at Sedgefield?

George: We joined in 2005. We were originally tennis members. Our daughter was growing up, so we wanted to use the pool and the other amenities. We became golf members about 10 years ago.

When did you move into the house along the 18th hole?

Kim: We moved here in 2013. We knew the people who were leaving, and they offered to sell us the house. We second-guessed it a little at first, but then we realized how special the location was.

George: The house has been a work in progress, like any house, but we’ve loved it here. The location is fabulous, and the neighborhood and the people around us are wonderful.

From left: Sergio Garcia, Kim Boss, John McConnell and George Boss

How did the bench tradition begin?

George: The bench was already here when we bought the house. We refurbished it, and a friend of ours, Mike Kohler, helped with that. Sergio Garcia was the first player to visit. I’m friends with John McConnell, and Sergio was playing with John during the Pro-Am. I asked John if he would bring Sergio by so we could say hello and shake his hand.

Kim: I went to shake Sergio’s hand, and he said, “No, no, no.” Then he kissed me on both cheeks. That was it. I was touched.

George: Mike suggested getting a picture on the bench, so Sergio and John came down and the four of us took one. The next year, John brought Webb Simpson and Pat McCrory over. From there, it began to grow into a tradition.

Brandt Snedeker holding the Sam Snead Cup after winning his second Wyndham Championship title in 2018.

When did you begin thinking of it as the “Lucky Bench”?

George: We started noticing that several golfers who sat on the bench went on to play well or win around the time they visited. At least that’s the story we’re sticking with. One of my favorites is Brandt Snedeker. When he sat down, my brother-in-law told him that a lot of players had visited the bench and then gone on to win.

Brandt said, “Oh, really? Well, I need to go low tomorrow and make a lot of birdies.”

Then he went out and shot 59. He has always been extremely nice to us. When he returned after receiving the Payne Stewart Award, he said, “I’m coming over. Don’t worry—I’m coming over to the bench.”

How many golfers have visited the bench?

A signed momentum from the 2018 Champion, Brandt Snedeker

George: I would say more than 60. We added about 13 new players in 2025 alone. Some players have visited more than once. Webb Simpson has come down quite a bit. Brandt Snedeker has, too, and Harold Varner III used to stop by regularly.

Kim: Almost everyone has been very gracious and accommodating.

George: In a way, we’re putting them out a little by asking. But a lot of them say it’s nice to sit down in the shade for a minute because it’s usually so hot. What began as one or two players a year has grown to 10 or more some years.

Cameron Young gave the legend another chapter in 2025. What was he like?

George: He was the first player to come over that morning. It was just my brother-in-law and me with him. Cameron was a little quiet, but he was very nice. We really haven’t had anyone who wasn’t nice. Some are simply quieter than others.

Is there a story from the bench that carries special meaning for your family?

Kim: We had a friend, Denise Martin, who loved coming to the tournament. After she passed away, we dedicated the bench to her. J.T. Poston was her favorite golfer. We had a photograph of Denise framed, and J.T. came over, held it and posed for a picture with us at the bench. It was incredibly sweet.

George: During the pandemic, when the restrictions were very strict, J.T. was the only player who came over. He couldn’t sit on the bench, but he stood at the ropes and visited with us. That memory means a lot.

What is tournament week like when you live beside the 18th hole?

From left: Mike Culler, George Boss, Jordan Spieth, Kim Boss and John McConnell

George: By Sunday, we’re usually ready for everyone to go home. But it’s a great week. We have friends and clients here, and the tournament gives us an opportunity to bring people together.

Kim: When everything begins on Wednesday, we’re very excited. It is a big deal for us because so many people come through our home. We offer hospitality, and we’re fortunate to have so many friends visit. We give out close to 50 parking passes, and some years we’ve given out as many as 100. We see and talk with everyone who comes through. It has definitely brought us closer to other members and people in the community.

George: The neighborhood is already tight-knit, and we’re fortunate to have a lot of good friends here. In the early photographs, it might be just Kim and me, the golfer and John McConnell. Now there might be seven or 10 people gathered around the bench. I counted 35 or 40 different friends in the pictures.

Are you still starstruck when the professionals stop by?

George: Absolutely. I’m a kid at heart. You look up and think, “That’s Sergio Garcia,” or, “That’s Jordan Spieth.” I don’t care whether you’re 15 or 60—you still get a little giddy when one of your favorite golfers comes over to do something as simple as sit on a bench.

Kim: He’s still pretty giddy.

Are there any players you particularly enjoy welcoming?

George: (Sedgefield member) Alex Smalley is a super nice and gracious guy. I see him practicing on the course and the putting green. I have friends who are better golfers than I am who have played with him, and everyone speaks highly of him. He’s a huge fan favorite at Sedgefield. I would love to see him contend here one year. That would be really special.

After all these years, what does the Lucky Bench mean to you?

George: It has given us a lot of memories. The golfers are important, of course, but when we look at the photographs, we also see our friends and the people who have shared tournament week with us over the years. It’s exciting when one of the professionals comes over. But the tradition has become about more than golf. It’s about the people who have gathered here and the memories we’ve made together.