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GREENSBORO -- The Wyndham Championship's move to Sedgefield Country Club is a done deal. So tournament officials don't need any more pitches or endorsements.

But they got one anyway. A pretty big one, too.

Arnold Palmer said Wednesday that the Wyndham Championship's return to Sedgefield is long overdue.

"It's a great move back to what I always thought was a really nice golf course," Palmer said. "The players are going to be in for a treat."

Palmer said Sedgefield, which underwent a $3 million renovation to its Donald Ross-designed course, should prove a tough test for players when the Wyndham takes place there in August.

"Even with any length they've added, it's not a course you can attack with a driver," he said. "I think players will enjoy playing an old-(style) course again, but it might not come easy to some."

Sedgefield has been a part of Greensboro's professional golf tournament on and off since the first event in 1938. From 1961 to 1976, the Greater Greensboro Open was played at Sedgefield before moving to Forest Oaks, where it remained until this year.

Palmer, one of golf's most popular players ever, won 62 tournaments in his career, including seven majors. But he never won in 13 attempts at Sedgefield.

He came close. In 1972, he had a two-shot lead with three holes to play when he stepped up to the par-3 16th hole (now No. 7).

He hit his tee shot into the creek that runs along the green and tried to hit his way out, but failed miserably. He walked away with a triple bogey and finished third.

"I think the players will get a kick out of going there," he said. "The tour has a lot of great courses, but not nearly as many of them are old-style courses like Sedgefield. It's just a different game, so when (the tour) has an opportunity to play them it's great."

Contact Robert Bell at 373-7055 or rbell @news-record.com