Lye was born in Vallejo, California. He attended San Jose State University, where he was a three-time All-American as a member of the golf team. He graduated in 1975 and turned pro later that year.
Professional career
Before Lye joined the PGA Tour he played in Australia. He won the Australian Tour's 1976 Colgate Champion of Champions by one stroke over New Zealand'sSimon Owen and two over crowd favorite Kel Nagle. Lye did not even expect to stay in Australia after he failed to qualify for that year's Australian Open. A friend encouraged him to remain and play in the Melbourne event. After he won Lye exclaimed, "My God, I don't know what to say. I'm more surprised than all of you people." After a decent start he was three under and easily made the cut but was still six shots behind Nagle. Lye then played excellently over the weekend, shooting 68-67 to overcome his competitors. He defeated an elite field that included, in addition to Owen and Nagle, 1975 U.S. Open champion Lou Graham, 1975 Open Championship winner Tom Watson, and recent Australian Tour champion Greg Norman. Lye would ultimately win the 1976 PGA Tour of AustraliaOrder of Merit. Lye joined the PGA Tour in 1977. He was a full-time member of tour from 1977 to 1991. Lye's first solid season on tour came in 1980. He finished 39th on the money list and recorded two runner-up finishes. Three years later, in 1983, would be his best season. In September he recorded his lone victory on the PGA Tour at the Bank of Boston Classic. Lye went under the radar for most of the final round; he was eight shots behind in a tie for 16th when the round started. He did not hold even a share of the lead until the 69th hole of the tournament. However, he started the final round well and then birdied 3 of the final 4 holes for a 64 to squeak out a one shot win. Later in the fall, at the last event, he recorded a runner-up finish at the Pensacola Open. He recorded six top-10s in total for 1983, his most ever, and finished 28th on the money list, his best ever. Lye's win qualified him for the 1984 Masters Tournament. His career may be best known for his debut performance at the event. Lye shot a solid first round 69 and then surged to a three shot lead after a 66. He fell back a little after a third round 73 but was still in second place, one behind Tom Kite. The final round was an erratic one for Lye. He birdied the first hole but then bogeyed the third hole and double-bogeyed the 5th. He closed with birdies at 8 and 9, however, to complete the front nine where he started at −8. This brief good play quickly ended with bogeys at 10 and 11. He would par out from there for a 74 and T-6. It would easily be his best finish in a major championship. Lye would record an additional four top-10s in 1984 and finish a respectable 43rd on the money list. He would not improve on those performances again, however. For another decade or so Lye would maintain full-time status but never perform with the same consistency. In 1995, at the age of 43, Lye tore a ligament in his right hand at the FedEx St. Jude Classic and had to retire from tour. He then began working as an analyst for The Golf Channel eventually rising to lead analyst for men's tournament coverage. After reaching the age of 50 in November 2002, Lye joined the Champions Tour as a part-time player. His best finish in that venue is a solo 9th at the 2004 Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn. To accommodate this new phase in his life, Lye transitioned to on-course reporter in order to compete in select Champions Tour events.
Personal life
Lye plays guitar, in particular blues guitar, and has played with a member of Eric Clapton's band. Late in his career he formed Jake Trout and the Flounders, a cover band with fellow professional golfers Payne Stewart and Peter Jacobsen. He also made a cameo in the 1996 golf-comedy film Happy Gilmore that starred Adam Sandler. Lye is diabetic and has had additional health issues. Lye has battled malignant melanoma. He first discovered a dime-sized mole on his left knee in 1991 and had surgery to remove it. He was cancer free for more than five years; however, in 2002, a small growth on his left thigh was discovered. He had surgery and other aggressive treatments for this recurrence and remains under a doctor's care. Influenced by his cancer diagnosis he became a born-again Christian. Lye lives in Naples, Florida. He is married to Lisa and has two children, Lucas and Eva. He was inducted into the California Golf Writers Hall of Fame in February 2007.
