Wyndham Championship - Greater Greensboro Open Past Winners And History

Played annually in Greensboro, North Carolina, The Wyndham Championship originally was called the Greater Greensboro Open. The first Greater Greensboro Open was held in 1938, and was won by the legendary Sam Snead. Snead would go on to win the event eight times, with his 1965 win there making him the oldest player to win a PGA Tour event. His eight victories in a single tournament also is a PGA Tour record.

The Wyndham has made a bit of a splash in 2010 because it is experimenting with permitting spectators to carry cell phones.

For most of its history, the Greater Greensboro Open was held in April or May. In its first 4 years, it was played at both Sedgefield Country Club and Starmount Forest Country Club, moving to the Starmount Forest CC in 1942. From 1942 to 1952, it alternated between Starmount Forest CC and Sedgefield CC. It was played at Starmount in 1951 and 1952. Sedgefield hosted in 1953, then it was back to Starmount through 1956.  Sedgefield CC hosted in 1957 before Starmount Forest CC hosted another 3 straight 1958-60.

From 1961 to 1976, it was played at Sedgefield CC. The origin of this is actually a pretty funny story. Following his win at Starmount in 1960, Snead noted that the winter had taken its toll on the course, and joked that the owner Edward Benjamin should fix it up before the next tournament. Benjamin banned Snead from his course for life. In a popularity contest, though, Snead won. The tournament has not returned to Starmount.

From 1977 to 2007, Forest Oaks Country Club hosted the event. In 2008, the tournament returned to Sedgefield CC. In any case, it has been played in Greensboro, NC for its entire history.

Ben Hogan won his first tournament there in 1940. In 1942, Sam Byrd, a former New York Yankee became the only MLB baseball player to win a PGA Tour event. Charlie Sifford became the first African American to play a PGA Tournament in the South when he was invited to the 1961 Greater Greensboro Open. Seve Ballesteros won his first US tournament there in 1978.

Davis Love holds the course-tournament record with a 62 recorded in 1992.

In 2007, the event was renamed the Wyndham Championship when Wyndham Hotels & Resorts took over from DaimlerChrysler as main sponsor. It moved from an autumn date to mid-August and is the last PGA Tour event before the Playoffs for the FedEx Cup. The 2009 purse was $5,100,000, with $918,000 going to the winner.