Number Crunch: Wyndham Championship
 
Aug. 15, 2007

The Wyndham Championship is not only the oldest professional golf tournament in North Carolina, it is also one of the oldest tournaments on the PGA TOUR, dating back 68 seasons.

Greensboro Daily News sports editor Laurence Leonard began pushing the idea for the tournament back in 1937. The spring of the next year, Sam Snead won the inaugural Greater Greensboro Open.

Since then, the tournament has authored several interesting numbers ...

NUMBER THAT COULD WIN YOU A BET

3The number of days the 1940 tournament was delayed -- by snow. Once the tournament began, Ben Hogan dominated it, winning by nine strokes.

AS HONORABLE MENTIONS GO, A HECK OF AN HONORABLE MENTION

1The number of Major League Baseball players who have won PGA TOUR events. Sam Byrd, Babe Ruth's former backup for the New York Yankees, produced a final-round rally to win the 1942 Greensboro tournament.

NUMBER THAT HAS ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY NO CHANCE OF BEING CHALLENGED THIS WEEK

82The number of PGA TOUR wins that Sam Snead had after winning the 1965 tournament. It would be the final TOUR win of Snead's career.

MORE INTERESTING NUMBERS

0The number of players who broke par in the 1947 tournament. Vic Gheszi won the event at 286.
1The number of PGA TOUR victories Seve Ballesteros had after winning the 1978 Greater Greensboro Open.
8The number of players who have won twice at Greensboro: Davis Love III, Sandy Lyle, Danny Edwards, George Archer, Billy Casper, Doug Sanders, Byron Nelson and Sam Snead.
8The number of times that Sam Snead won this tournament, the most victories for any player at the same tournament. Snead won in 1938, 1946, 1949-50, 1955-56, 1960 and 1965. Incidentally, Snead also finished second in this tournament three times --1953, 1958 and 1961.
9The number of shots Davis Love III made on the field while winning the 1992 event. He began the final round three shots out of the lead but won the tournament by six thanks to an electrifying 62 that included two eagles in holes where he did not even have to put.
13The number of times this tournament has been decided in a playoff, most recently in 1998 when Trevor Dodds beat Scott Verplank.
23The most strokes under par by a player in tournament history, done by Jesper Parnevik in 1999.
52Sam Snead's age in years when he won the 1965 tournament, making him the TOUR's oldest tournament winner.
62The lowest 18-hole score in tournament history, done by Davis Love III (1992), Mark O'Meara (1996), Jeff Maggert (1999) and Charles Warren (2005).
265The lowest 72-hole score in tournament history, done by Jesper Parnevik in 1999.
7,311The yardage at Forest Oaks Country Club, the host course for the tournament.
900,000In dollars, the winner's share of this year's $5 million prize fund.