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Sedgefield Country Club has a storied history; Sam Snead won the GGO there a record 8 times (most wins in the same event, period!). Ben Hogan played and won there, as well as Byron Nelson, Gary Player, Julius Boros, Al Geiberger, Billy Casper, and Gene Littler. Arnie nearly had a win there in 1972 when he went to the 16th tee on Sunday with a 2-shot lead. But he splashed his ball in the shallow creek next to the par-3 16th, tried to play out of the creek, and ended up with a triple bogey, costing him the tournament. I don't believe Nicklaus ever played there, since as you said, the GGO was always played the week before the Masters, a week Nicklaus typically took off. Course designer Donald Ross also desiged a couple of the famous courses at Pinehurst where the US Open is held every few years. Now that the Wyndham Championship, played at the Forest Oaks Country Club in Greensboro since 1977, is moving back to Sedgefield(following a $3-million restoration and an addition of about 600 yards to the course), I hope that it will eventually attract a stellar field, including TW. I will definitely be watching it again this year, just to see the course again if for nothing else.
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