‘The King’ Richard Petty and Arnold Palmer

Richard Petty and Arnold Palmer after the opening ceremony of the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C.

Worth Canoy of VPS Motorimages

Those in attendance at the opening ceremony for the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club felt as though they were in the presence of royalty. Two kings, to be exact. 'The King' Richard Petty and 'The King' Arnold Palmer, along with defending Wyndham Championship winner Brandt Snedeker, were the guests at the event that is celebrating its return to Sedgefield. The Donald Ross design hosted the event until 1976.

Petty and Palmer are both celebrating 50-year anniversaries in 2008. Petty competed in his first NASCAR race on July 12, 1958. Palmer won his first green jacket as the champion of the Masters tournament on April 6, 1958. The two also exchanged gifts from their private collections. Petty gave Palmer an authentic Charley One Horse cowboy hat. Palmer presented Petty with one of his favorite putters.

"Arnold and I were doing our thing around the same time, through the 60's and 70's, but our paths never crossed much," stated Petty. "I always followed his career because he also has strong ties to North Carolina, having played college golf at Wake Forest. I admired the way he carried himself on and off the golf course. It's an honor to welcome the Wyndham Championship back to Sedgefield Country Club with Arnold and I'm glad he and I got to spend some time together. He looks good in that Charley One Horse hat."