A Little Wyndham History

Yes, you will all listen about this event till you are in all likelihood ill of it. You'll pay attention approximately it being Webb Simpson's first Tour win (if you have not already), approximately it being the closing hazard to make the FedExCup playoffs, and so forth. But the Wyndham is performed in "my backyard" -- I stay only 15-20 minutes from Greensboro -- and that is a historically enormous event. So I'd like to tell you a little approximately it.

Originally, this match was known as the Greater Greensboro Open, or really the GGO. It changed into commenced in 1938 and become a domestically subsidized event by means of the Greensboro Jaycees until the late 1980s, whilst it became necessary to locate some deeper wallet to maintain it alive. However, Kmart, Chrysler, and Wyndham had been the simplest sponsors, so this has been a pretty strong event.

And that's because of its history. It's possible that you know Sam Snead won the GGO 8 times, which is the current record for victories at a single tournament. It's also the tournament which made him the oldest winner in PGA history. (If you didn't know but you're watching GC's series American Triumvirate, you'll probably be hearing about those records during the Snead show.) That's the bit of history most golfers know.

However, Greensboro changed into a number one player in the civil rights movement. In 1960, a sit down-in that lasted several months came about at a Woolworth's keep in Greensboro, after four students had been denied service at the lunch counter. It turned into the seminal occasion that brought about desegregation inside the South. Part of that counter is on show at the Smithsonian, and that Woolworth's has for the reason that become the International Civil Rights Center and Museum. Likewise, in 1969 the Greensboro Riots have become a much less-than-stellar a part of records.

But the GGO turned into one of the shiny spots in the civil rights movement. In 1961 Charlie Sifford played within the match, making him the primary black golfer to play a PGA occasion. (At least, he become the first within the South.)

Snead, Hogan, and Nelson (sure, the entire Triumvirate) all gained the GGO at least once, as did different greats like Gary Player, Bob Charles, Billy Casper, and Raymond Floyd. It become the primary American win for Seve Ballesteros, and the handiest American win for each Arjun Atwal and Frank Nobilo.

In fact, foreign players as an entire have performed well in Greensboro, with every person from Sandy Lyle to Steve Elkington, to K.J. Choi, to Shigeki Maruyama, to Jesper Parnevik winning right here. An thrilling reality is that each of the scoring records on the Wyndham belong to Swedish players -- Jesper holds the file relative to par, at the same time as Carl Pettersson holds the combination scoring document (it is overall strokes).

Until these days the Wyndham became played in March or April, whichever located it the week before the Masters. Very few players manipulate to win a prime and a regular tournament again-to-again, but Sandy Lyle pulled it off here in 1988.

And, as an interesting aspect word, Sedgefield Country Club -- a Donald Ross design that serves because the contemporary venue -- was one of the publications in the beginning used for the GGO at some point of its first 4 years. That was almost 75 years ago!

So as you can see, the Wyndham Championship is extra than just another tournament on the agenda. It's been one of the PGA Tour's extra big events for a long time. What sort of history might be made there this week?