Byron Nelson - Wikipedia

American professional golfer (1912–2006)

Byron Nelson
Byron Nelson, c. 1944
Personal information
Full name	John Byron Nelson Jr.
Nickname	Lord Byron
Born	(1912-02-04)February 4, 1912Waxahachie, Texas, U.S.
Died	September 26, 2006(2006-09-26) (aged 94)Roanoke, Texas, U.S.
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Sporting nationality	United States
Spouse	Louise Shofner Nelson ​ ​(m. 1934; died 1985)​ Peggy Simmons Nelson ​ ​(m. 1986)​[1]
Career
Turned professional	1932
Former tour	PGA Tour
Professional wins	64
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour	52 (6th all-time)
Other	12
Best results in major championships(wins: 5)
Masters Tournament	Won: 1937, 1942
PGA Championship	Won: 1940, 1945
U.S. Open	Won: 1939
The Open Championship	5th: 1937
Achievements and awards
World Golf Hall of Fame 1974 (member page) Vardon Trophy 1939 PGA Tourleading money winner 1944, 1945 Associated PressMale Athlete of the Year 1944, 1945 Bob Jones Award 1974 PGA Tour LifetimeAchievement Award 1997 Payne Stewart Award 2000 Congressional Gold Medal 2006
(For a full list of awards, see here)

John Byron Nelson Jr. (February 4, 1912 – September 26, 2006) was an American professional golfer between 1935 and 1946, widely considered one of the greatest golfers of all time.

Nelson and two other legendary champions of the time, Ben Hogan and Sam Snead, were born within seven months of each other in 1912.[2][3] Although he won many tournaments in the course of his relatively brief career, he is mostly remembered today for having won 11 consecutive tournaments and 18 total tournaments in 1945. He retired officially at the age of 34 to be a rancher, later becoming a commentator for ABC Sports and lending his name to the Byron Nelson Classic, the first PGA Tour event to be named for a professional golfer. As a former Masters champion he continued to play in that annual tournament, placing in the top-10 six times between 1947 and 1955 and as high as 15th in 1965.[4]

In 1974, Nelson received the Bob Jones Award, the highest honor given by the United States Golf Association in recognition of distinguished sportsmanship in golf, and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.[5] He became the second recipient of the PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997. He received the 1994 Old Tom Morris Award from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, that organization's highest honor. Nelson was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 2006.

Early life

[edit]

Born near Waxahachie, Texas, Byron Nelson was the son of Madge Allen Nelson (1893–1992) and John Byron Nelson Sr. (1889–1965). His parents set a precedent for him not only in their long lives — Madge Nelson lived to age 98, and her husband to age 77 — but also in their religious commitment. Madge, who had grown up Baptist, was baptized in the Church of Christ at age 18, and John Byron Sr., raised Presbyterian, was baptized in the Church of Christ soon after meeting Madge. The senior Byron Nelson went on to serve as an elder in the Roanoke Church of Christ, and the younger Byron Nelson was a committed member of that congregation, even performing janitorial services there from time to time long after he became famous. He placed his membership at the Hilltop Church of Christ in Roanoke from 1989 until 2000, when he moved his membership to the Richland Hills Church of Christ in North Richland Hills, Texas.[6]

When Nelson was 11 years old, the family moved to Fort Worth, where he barely survived typhoid fever after losing nearly half his body weight to the disease, which also left him unable to sire children[citation needed]. Soon after his baptism at age 12, he started caddying at Glen Garden Country Club.[6] On his caddying days, Nelson said, "I knew nothing about caddying at first, but it wasn't difficult to learn. The other caddies, though, didn't like to see any new ones, because that might mean they wouldn't get a job sometime."[7] An article on Nelson in Sports Illustrated noted that initially caddies were not permitted to play at the club: "[H]e would often practice in the dark, putting his white handkerchief over the hole so he could find it in the darkness."[8] The club later changed its policy and sponsored a caddie tournament, where a 14-year-old Nelson beat fellow caddie and future golf great Ben Hogan by a single stroke after a nine-hole playoff.[6][8] Nelson and Hogan were rivals but close friends in their teen years, and for the first part of their professional careers as well, but Nelson's early success was difficult for the struggling Hogan to deal with, and they gradually grew apart, while retaining mutual respect.[9]

In 1934, Nelson was working as a golf pro in Texarkana, Arkansas, when he met his future wife Louise Shofner, to whom he was married for 50 years before she died in 1985 after two severe strokes.[1][6]

Professional career

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Championship heyday

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After turning professional in 1932, Nelson served as a club professional in Texas and played as many significant tournaments as he could afford, to develop his game. Money was tight, as Texas was hit very hard by the Great Depression. A pair of top-three finishes in important Texas events encouraged him. He then took a club professional's job at the Ridgewood Country Club in New Jersey in 1935. He worked hard on his game, having earlier realized that with the technological change from hickory to steel shafts, which was gathering momentum in the early 1930s, that the golf swing would have to adapt as well. Nelson was among the first of a new generation of players who developed a full swing with increased leg drive leading the downswing; this is the forerunner of modern golf technique as practiced by top players, right to the present day. Nelson is sometimes credited as being the father of the modern golf swing. He refined the changes for a couple of years, and then took his game to the highest level of competition, the PGA Tour.[10] Nelson's first significant victory was in 1935 at the New Jersey State Open. He followed this up with a win at the Metropolitan Open the following year. He reportedly won this tournament with "$5 in my pocket".[11]

In 1937, Nelson was hired as the head professional at the Reading Country Club in Reading, Pennsylvania, and worked there until 1940, when he took a new job as head pro at the Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio.[9] While at Inverness, Nelson coached and mentored the promising young player Frank Stranahan, who would go on to stardom over the next two decades.

Wins major championships

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Nelson won his first major title at The Masters in 1937, two shots ahead of runner-up Ralph Guldahl. During this tournament, he shot a first-round 66, which was the lowest first-round score at the Masters until 1976, when Raymond Floyd shot a 65 en route to his victory.[12] Nelson won four more majors, the U.S. Open in 1939, the PGA Championship in 1940 and 1945, and a second Masters in 1942.

World War II years

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Nelson had a blood disorder that caused his blood to clot four times slower than normal, which kept him out of military service during World War II. It has sometimes mistakenly been reported that he had hemophilia.[13] During the war, Nelson gave hundreds of golf exhibitions across the country to raise money for charitable causes, often partnering with Harold "Jug" McSpaden, who was also exempt from military service.[10]

Career highlights

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In his career, Nelson won 52 professional events, and, along with McSpaden, was one of golf's "Gold Dust Twins".[14]

Nelson won the Vardon Trophy in 1939.[15] He played on two Ryder Cup teams, in 1937 and 1947, and was non-playing captain in 1965.[15] After 1946, Nelson curtailed his schedule, although he continued to make regular appearances at The Masters as a competitor, played occasional Tour events, appeared in a few overseas tournaments, and later served as a ceremonial starter for many years.[15]

Record-breaking year

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In 1945, Nelson enjoyed a record-breaking year, winning 18 PGA tournaments out of the 30 he played, including 11 in a row that he played in.[15] Both records are yet to be beaten. Nelson's run of 11 wins started in March with the Miami International Four-Ball, where he partnered Jug McSpaden. He then won 10 individual events ending with the Canadian Open in August, a run that finished when he finished tied for fourth place in the Memphis Invitational. During this run, he won the 1945 PGA Championship, the only major championship played that year.[15] The week after the PGA Championship he missed the St. Paul Open with a back injury. There has been debate as to how impressive these results are, as it was believed to be a weakened tour due to the war.[16] But in reality many of the leading golfers of that time, including Sam Snead and Ben Hogan still played a full or at least part schedule that year.[16] Snead won 6 times in 1945 while Hogan won 5 times in the latter part of the year. During this year Nelson finished second another 7 times, set a record for the scoring average (68.33 for 18 holes) that was broken by Tiger Woods in 2000, a record 18 hole score (62), and a record 72-hole score (259, which beat the previous record set by Ben Hogan earlier that year).[16] This year is now known as the greatest single year by a player on the PGA Tour, as Arnold Palmer said: "I don't think that anyone will ever exceed the things that Byron did by winning 11 tournaments in a row in one year."[17] Even more recently, Tiger Woods referred to the year as "one of the great years in the history of the sport".[17]

Cut streak

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Nelson's record of 113 consecutive cuts made is second only to Tiger Woods' 142. The PGA Tour defines a "cut" as receiving a paycheck, even if an event has no cut per se. In Nelson's era, only the top 20 in a tournament received a check. In reality, Nelson's "113 consecutive cuts made" are representative of his unequaled 113 consecutive top 20 tournament finishes. Almost half of those top 20s were during the weakened tour war years of 1944 & 1945. In fact, 26 of Nelson's 52 tour wins were during those two weakened tour years of 1944 & 1945. Before 1944 he had never won more than 4 events in any year.

First to win 50 PGA Tour events

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With his win at the 1946 Columbus Invitational, Nelson became the first player to reach 50 career PGA Tour wins. This feat has since been matched by Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Billy Casper, and Tiger Woods.

Notable performances

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Nelson achieved several notable performances of scoring and accuracy at key moments in major championships:

• 1937 Masters: Nelson scored a birdie and an eagle on holes 12 and 13 in the final round, making up six strokes on his main rival Ralph Guldahl, who played those same holes with a double bogey and a bogey; Nelson went on to win.
• 1939 U.S. Open: Nelson hit the flagstick six times on approach shots during the regulation 72 holes and the 36 playoff holes, he won the championship.[18]
• 1945 PGA Championship: In the semi-final 36-hole match against Jim Turnesa, Nelson was down four holes with five holes remaining. He played those finishing holes with an eagle and four birdies to win the match; Turnesa scored a birdie and four pars over those holes; Nelson won the title the next day.

Retirement

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Nelson retired officially at the relatively early age of 34 to become a rancher, buying a ranch in Roanoke, Texas.[19]

Nelson later became a television golf commentator, during the 1960s and 1970s on ABC Sports.

Byron Nelson Classic

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From 1968, Nelson lent both his name and support to the Byron Nelson Golf Classic in Dallas; this was the first regularly-held PGA Tour event to be named for a professional golfer; the tournament had been previously staged as the Dallas Open.

Late-career competition, wins

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As a former Masters champion, he continued to play in that annual tournament, placing in the top-10 six times between 1947 and 1955, and as high as 15th in 1965, at age 53.[4] From 1947 to 1955 Nelson played in 12 majors and won none.

Nelson did win the 1951 Bing Crosby Pro-Am, a PGA Tour event that he had not won before. He also won the 1955 French Open. Nelson gave paid golf exhibitions for many years after he retired from the Tour, notably after his 1951 Crosby victory.[10]

Writes memoirs

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Nelson published his memoir "How I Played The Game" in 1993 (by Taylor Publishing, Dallas).

Over nearly 70 years in the sport, Nelson played with many celebrities and well-known personalities, including: Roone Arledge, Bing Crosby, James Garner, Bob Hope, Bobby Knight, Randolph Scott, Ed Sullivan, Johnny Weissmuller, Lawrence Welk, and Babe Zaharias.[20]

Coach and mentor

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Among the rising golf talents Nelson coached and mentored, from the 1950s to the 1970s, are World Golf Hall of Fame members Ken Venturi and Tom Watson, along with Marty Fleckman (who won the 1965 NCAA title and one PGA Tour event), and the dominant amateur Harvie Ward.[21]

Death and legacy

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Nelson died Tuesday, September 26, 2006.[22][23][24] According to a family friend, Nelson died at his Roanoke, Texas home around noon. He was survived by Peggy, his wife of nearly 20 years, sister Margaret Ellen Sherman (1920–2007), and brother Charles (1926–2018), a professor emeritus at Abilene Christian University,[25] where Byron Nelson had been a trustee and benefactor. Nelson met his second wife, the former Peggy (McDonald) Simmons of Toledo, Ohio,[1] when she volunteered at the Bogie Busters celebrity golf tournament in Dayton, Ohio in 1985.[26]

Nelson was often referred to as "Lord Byron", after the English poet by that name, in recognition of his reputation for gentlemanly conduct, a nickname given him by Atlanta sports journalist O. B. Keeler.[22] Many of his obituaries referenced this reputation.[27][28]

Nelson had several successful years as a television golf commentator. Among the memorable events he broadcast was the 1966 U.S. Open for ABC Sports. Nelson's comments as Arnold Palmer let slip a big lead to Billy Casper on the final nine holes: "A few holes ago, everybody thought this championship was over. Golf is the strangest game in the world."[29] It was at the 1974 U.S. Open that Nelson met Watson for the first time, and the two connected after Watson let a big lead get away in the final round.

Nelson was ranked as the fifth greatest golfer of all time by Golf Digest magazine in 2000. On this list, Jack Nicklaus was first, Nelson's longtime rivals Ben Hogan and Sam Snead were second and third respectively, and Bobby Jones was fourth.[30] A 2009 Sports Illustrated panel ranked him seventh on its list of all-time greatest golfers, behind Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Jones, Hogan, Snead, and Arnold Palmer.[31]

The "Iron Byron" electro-mechanical machine or robot, developed by Battelle Memorial Institute and True Temper Sports and used by the United States Golf Association and golf manufacturers to compare and test clubs and balls for conformity to standards, was named for Nelson, honoring the consistency of his swing.

In Jack Nicklaus's 1978 book On and Off the Fairway, Nicklaus wrote that Nelson was the straightest golfer he ever saw. The two never played competitively (except at the Masters; Nicklaus won in 1965, Nelson finished tied for 15th), but a 14-year-old Nicklaus was in the crowd at the 1954 U.S. Junior Amateur, when Nelson gave an exhibition hitting golf shots.[32]

Posthumous honors

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State Highway 114 Business through Roanoke, Texas is named Byron Nelson Boulevard, in honor of Nelson's residence; the street he lived on was recently changed to Eleven Straight Lane in honor of his 1945 record. In Irving, Texas a street immediately adjacent to the Four Seasons Resort and Club, where the HP Byron Nelson Championship is played each year, is named Byron Nelson Lane. A street in Southlake, Texas, Byron Nelson Parkway, was named in his honor, as was a street in a residential neighborhood in McAllen, Texas.

On September 29, 2006, the United States Senate approved Senate Resolution 602[33] awarding Byron Nelson the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest award bestowed by the Legislative Branch of the United States government. The resolution cites Mr. Nelson's "significant contributions to the game of golf as a player, a teacher, and a commentator". Representative Michael C. Burgess (R-TX) sponsored the resolution, originally proposed on March 8, 2006, well before Nelson's death.[34] On June 27, 2007, Peggy Nelson, Byron Nelson's surviving wife, was presented with the medal.[35]

On April 23, 2007, the Northwest Independent School District named their second high school Byron Nelson High School. This is the first high school named in honor of Byron Nelson and opened in the fall of 2009. The school is located in Trophy Club, Texas, near Nelson's hometown of Roanoke.[36]

Artist Chelle Adams painted two portraits of Byron Nelson in dedication which hang in the school's auditorium. Orange County Choppers built three choppers in dedication which were auctioned off.

Professional wins (64)

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PGA Tour wins (52)

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Legend
Major championships (5)
Other PGA Tour (47)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin ofvictory	Runner(s)-up
1	Aug 10, 1935	New Jersey State Open	+4 (75-71-70-72=288)	3 strokes	Jack Forrester
2	May 23, 1936	Metropolitan Open	+3 (71-69-72-71=283)	2 strokes	Craig Wood
3	Apr 4, 1937	Masters Tournament	−5 (66-72-75-70=283)	2 strokes	Ralph Guldahl
4	Sep 28, 1937	Belmont International Open	5 and 4		Henry Picard
5	Feb 27, 1938	Thomasville Open	−8 (66-73-71-70=280)	4 strokes	Dick Metz
6	Mar 11, 1938	Hollywood Open	−9 (71-68-69-67=275)	1 stroke	Frank Moore, Horton Smith
7	Feb 5, 1939	Phoenix Open	−15 (68-65-65=198)	12 strokes	Ben Hogan
8	Mar 23, 1939	North and South Open	−8 (71-68-70-71=280)	2 strokes	Horton Smith
9	Jun 12, 1939	U.S. Open	+8 (72-73-71-68=284)	Playoff	Denny Shute, Craig Wood
10	Jul 23, 1939	Western Open	−2 (68-72-70-71=281)	1 stroke	Lloyd Mangrum
11	Feb 12, 1940	Texas Open	−13 (68-67-69-67=271)	Playoff	Ben Hogan
12	Sep 2, 1940	PGA Championship	1 up		Sam Snead
13	Dec 15, 1940	Miami Open	−9 (69-65-67-70=271)	1 stroke	Clayton Heafner
14	Mar 23, 1941	Greater Greensboro Open	−6 (72-64-70-70=276)	2 strokes	Vic Ghezzi
15	Sep 7, 1941	Tam O'Shanter National Open	−10 (67-69-72-70=278)	1 stroke	Leonard Dodson, Ben Hogan
16	Dec 14, 1941	Miami Open (2)	−11 (70-67-66-66=269)	5 strokes	Ben Hogan
17	Jan 18, 1942	Oakland Open	−6 (67-69-69-69=274)	5 strokes	Johnny Dawson (a)
18	Apr 13, 1942	Masters Tournament (2)	−8 (68-67-72-73=280)	Playoff	Ben Hogan
19	Jul 27, 1942	Tam O'Shanter National Open (2)	−8 (67-71-65-77=280)	Playoff	Clayton Heafner
20	Jan 17, 1944	San Francisco Victory Open	−13 (68-69-68-70=275)	6 strokes	Jug McSpaden
21	Apr 2, 1944	Knoxville War Bond Tournament	−10 (69-68-66-67=270)	1 stroke	Jug McSpaden
22	Jun 18, 1944	New York Red Cross Tournament	−13 (69-69-66-71=275)	4 strokes	Vic Ghezzi
23	Jul 9, 1944	Golden Valley Four-Ball(with Jug McSpaden)	+13 points	3 points	Bob Hamilton and Bill Kaiser
24	Aug 28, 1944	All American Open (3)	−8 (68-70-73-69=280)	5 strokes	Ed Dudley
25	Sep 4, 1944	Nashville Invitational	−15 (64-67-68-70=269)	1 stroke	Jug McSpaden
26	Sep 10, 1944	Texas Victory Open	−8 (69-69-70-68=276)	10 strokes	Jug McSpaden
27	Dec 4, 1944	San Francisco Open (2)	−7 (72-71-69-69=281)	1 stroke	Jim Ferrier
28	Jan 14, 1945	Phoenix Open (2)	−10 (68-65-72-69=274)	2 strokes	Denny Shute
29	Feb 4, 1945	Corpus Christi Open	−16 (66-63-65-70=264)	4 strokes	Jug McSpaden
30	Feb 13, 1945	New Orleans Open	−4 (70-70-73-71=284)	Playoff	Jug McSpaden
31	Mar 11, 1945	Miami International Four-Ball(with Jug McSpaden)	8 and 6		Sammy Byrd and Denny Shute
32	Mar 21, 1945	Charlotte Open	−16 (70-68-66-68=272)	Playoff	Sam Snead
33	Mar 25, 1945	Greater Greensboro Open (2)	−13 (70-67-68-66=271)	8 strokes	Sammy Byrd
34	Apr 1, 1945	Durham Open	−4 (71-69-71-65=276)	5 strokes	Toney Penna
35	Apr 8, 1945	Atlanta Open	−13 (64-69-65-65=263)	9 strokes	Sammy Byrd
36	Jun 10, 1945	Montreal Open	−20 (63-68-69-68=268)	10 strokes	Jug McSpaden
37	Jun 17, 1945	Philadelphia Inquirer Open	−11 (68-68-70-63=269)	2 strokes	Jug McSpaden
38	Jul 1, 1945	Chicago Victory National Open	−13 (69-68-68-70=275)	7 strokes	Ky Laffoon, Jug McSpaden
39	Jul 15, 1945	PGA Championship (2)	4 and 3		Sammy Byrd
40	Jul 30, 1945	All American Open (4)	−19 (66-68-68-67=269)	11 strokes	Ben Hogan, Gene Sarazen
41	Aug 4, 1945	Canadian Open	E (68-72-72-68=280)	4 strokes	Herman Barron
42	Aug 26, 1945	Knoxville Invitational (2)	−12 (67-69-73-67=276)	10 strokes	Sammy Byrd
43	Sep 23, 1945	Esmeralda Open	−22 (66-66-70-64=266)	7 strokes	Jug McSpaden
44	Oct 14, 1945	Seattle Open	−21 (62-68-63-66=259)	13 strokes	Harry Givan (a), Jug McSpaden
45	Dec 16, 1945	Fort Worth Open	−11 (65-72-66-70=273)	8 strokes	Jimmy Demaret
46	Jan 7, 1946	Los Angeles Open	E (71-69-72-72=284)	5 strokes	Ben Hogan
47	Jan 13, 1946	San Francisco Open (3)	−1 (73-70-72-68=283)	9 strokes	Herman Barron
48	Feb 17, 1946	New Orleans Open (2)	−11 (73-69-69-66=277)	5 strokes	Ben Hogan
49	May 12, 1946	Houston Open	−10 (70-69-67-68=274)	2 strokes	Ben Hogan
50	Jul 7, 1946	Columbus Invitational	−12 (72-68-69-67=276)	2 strokes	Ed Oliver
51	Jul 21, 1946	Chicago Victory National Open (2)	−5 (73-69-69-68=279)	2 strokes	Jug McSpaden
52	Jan 14, 1951	Bing Crosby Pro-Am	−7 (71-67-71=209)	3 strokes	Cary Middlecoff

PGA Tour playoff record (6–4)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponent(s)	Result
1	1939	U.S. Open	Denny Shute, Craig Wood	Won second 18-hole playoff;Nelson: +1 (70),Wood: +4 (73)Level after first 18-hole playoff;Nelson: −1 (68),Wood: −1 (68),Shute: +7 (76)
2	1940	Texas Open	Ben Hogan	Won 18-hole playoff;Nelson: −1 (70),Hogan: E (71)
3	1941	Florida West Coast Open	Horton Smith	Lost 18-hole playoff;Smith: −3 (68),Nelson: −2 (69)
4	1942	Masters Tournament	Ben Hogan	Won 18-hole playoff;Nelson: −3 (69),Hogan: −2 (70)
5	1942	Tam O'Shanter National Open	Clayton Heafner	Won 18-hole playoff;Nelson: −5 (67),Heafner: −1 (71)
6	1944	Phoenix Open	Jug McSpaden	Lost 18-hole playoff;McSpaden: −1 (70),Nelson: +1 (72)
7	1945	New Orleans Open	Jug McSpaden	Won 18-hole playoff;Nelson: −7 (65),McSpaden: −2 (70)
8	1945	Gulfport Open	Sam Snead	Lost to par on first extra after 18-hole playoff;Snead: E (71),Nelson: E (71)
9	1945	Charlotte Open	Sam Snead	Won second 18-hole playoff;Nelson: −3 (69),Snead: +1 (73)Level after first 18-hole playoff;Nelson: −3 (69),Snead: −3 (69)
10	1946	U.S. Open	Vic Ghezzi, Lloyd Mangrum	Mangrum won second 18-hole playoff;Mangrum: E (72),Ghezzi: +1 (73),Nelson: +1 (73)Level after first 18-hole playoff;Ghezzi: E (72),Mangrum: E (72),Nelson: E (72)

Source:[37]

Other wins (12)

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(This list may be incomplete)

• 1937 Central Pennsylvania Open
• 1939 Massachusetts Open
• 1940 Ohio Open
• 1941 Ohio Open, Seminole Pro-Am
• 1942 Toledo Open, Ohio Open
• 1943 Kentucky Open
• 1944 New York Open, Beverly Hills Open
• 1948 Texas PGA Championship
• 1955 French Open

Major championships

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Wins (5)

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Year	Championship	54 holes	Winning score	Margin	Runner(s)-up
1937	Masters Tournament	4 shot deficit	−5 (66-72-75-70=283)	2 strokes	Ralph Guldahl
1939	U.S. Open	5 shot deficit	+8 (72-73-71-68=284)	Playoff 1	Denny Shute, Craig Wood
1940	PGA Championship	match play	1 up		Sam Snead
1942	Masters Tournament (2)	2 shot lead	−8 (68-67-72-73=280)	Playoff 2	Ben Hogan
1945	PGA Championship (2)	match play	4 & 3		Sammy Byrd

Note: The PGA Championship was match play until 1958 1 Defeated Craig Wood and Denny Shute in a 36-hole playoff - Nelson (68-70=138), Wood (68-73=141), Shute (76) (eliminated after first 18) 2 Defeated Ben Hogan in an 18-hole playoff - Nelson 69 (−3), Hogan 70 (−2)

Results timeline

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Tournament	1934	1935	1936	1937	1938	1939
Masters Tournament	T9	T13	1	5	7
U.S. Open	CUT	T32	CUT	T20	T5	1
The Open Championship	5
PGA Championship	QF	QF	2

Tournament	1940	1941	1942	1943	1944	1945	1946	1947	1948	1949
Masters Tournament	3	2	1	NT	NT	NT	T7	T2	T8	T8
U.S. Open	T5	T17	NT	NT	NT	NT	T2	CUT
The Open Championship	NT	NT	NT	NT	NT	NT
PGA Championship	1	2	SF	NT	2	1	QF

Tournament	1950	1951	1952	1953	1954	1955	1956	1957	1958	1959
Masters Tournament	T4	T8	T24	T29	T12	T10	39	T16	T20	WD
U.S. Open	T28
The Open Championship	T32
PGA Championship

Tournament	1960	1961	1962	1963	1964	1965	1966
Masters Tournament	CUT	T32	T33	CUT	CUT	T15	CUT
U.S. Open
The Open Championship
PGA Championship

  Win   Top 10   Did not play

NT = no tournament WD = withdrew CUT = missed the half-way cut R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in PGA Championship match play "T" indicates a tie for a place

Summary

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Tournament	Wins	2nd	3rd	Top-5	Top-10	Top-25	Events	Cuts made
Masters Tournament	2	2	1	7	14	20	29	24
U.S. Open	1	1	0	4	4	6	11	8
The Open Championship	0	0	0	1	1	1	2	2
PGA Championship	2	3	1	9	9	9	9	9
Totals	5	6	2	21	28	36	51	43

• Most consecutive cuts made – 26 (1937 Masters – 1949 Masters)
• Longest streak of top-10s – 12 (1937 Open Championship – 1941 Masters)

Awards

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• Vardon Trophy: 1939
• PGA Tour leading money winner: 1944, 1945
• Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year: 1944, 1945
• Bob Jones Award: 1974
• World Golf Hall of Fame: 1974
• Old Tom Morris Award: 1994
• PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award: 1997
• Payne Stewart Award: 2000
• Congressional Gold Medal: 2006

See also

[edit]

• Byron Nelson Award
• List of golfers with most PGA Tour wins
• List of longest PGA Tour win streaks
• List of men's major championships winning golfers
• Most PGA Tour wins in a year

References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c Anderson, Dave (June 27, 2007). "An honor for Byron Nelson, Golf's patron saint". The New York Times. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
2. ^ Kelley, Brent. "Ben Hogan". About.com. Archived from the original on May 27, 2016. Retrieved May 25, 2007.
3. ^ Kelley, Brent. "Sam Snead". About.com. Archived from the original on January 27, 2017. Retrieved May 25, 2007.
4. ^ a b Historic Augusta Leaderboards
5. ^ "Byron Nelson profile". World Golf Hall of Fame. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
6. ^ a b c d Ross, Bobby Jr. "Legendary golfer Byron Nelson, a faithful church member, dies at 94". The Christian Chronicle. Archived from the original on October 24, 2007.
7. ^ Apfelbaum, Jim, ed. (2007). The Gigantic Book of Golf Quotations. World Golf Hall of Fame. ISBN 978-1-60239-014-0.
8. ^ a b Stricklin, Art (September 26, 2006). "Grace, style and morality: Nelson will be known as 'legend who will never fade'". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved November 2, 2006.
9. ^ a b Dodson, James (2004). Ben Hogan: An American Life. Doubleday. ISBN 978-0-385-50312-9.
10. ^ a b c Barkow, Al (1985). Gettin' to the Dance Floor: An Oral History of American Golf. Atheneum. ISBN 978-0689115172.
11. ^ Kessler, Peter. "Golf's great gentleman looks back – and ahead". Golf Magazine. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved May 22, 2007.
12. ^ Townsend, Brad. "A course for success". The Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on November 3, 2006. Retrieved May 22, 2007.
13. ^ Nelson, Byron (1993). How I Played the Game. Taylor Trade Publishing. ISBN 978-0-87833-819-1.
14. ^ "Tales from the Bunker" Harold "Jug" McSpaden – The Other "Gold Dust Twin"". September 5, 2011. Archived from the original on January 13, 2014.
15. ^ a b c d e Kelley, Brent. "Byron Nelson". About.com. Archived from the original on May 24, 2007. Retrieved May 18, 2007.
16. ^ a b c Kelley, Brent. "Top 10 Individual Seasons in Men's Golf History". About.com. Archived from the original on March 24, 2007. Retrieved May 21, 2007.
17. ^ a b Smith, Jeff (September 29, 2006). "Byron Nelson". The Sand Trap. Archived from the original on October 15, 2008. Retrieved May 22, 2007.
18. ^ Sommers, Robert (1996). The U.S. Open: Golf's Ultimate Challenge (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. ASIN B011MBVA54.
19. ^ "Nelson Retires From Tourneys". The Pittsburgh Press. October 7, 1946. p. 13.
20. ^ Nelson, Byron (1993). How I Played the Game. Dallas, Texas: Taylor Publishing Company. pp. 221–247. ISBN 0-87833-819-5.
21. ^ Frost, Mark (November 6, 2007). The Match: The Day the Game of Golf Changed Forever. Hyperion Books. ISBN 978-1-4013-0278-8.
22. ^ a b Goldstein, Richard (September 26, 2006). "Byron Nelson, Golf Champion, Is Dead at 94". The New York Times. Retrieved November 1, 2006.
23. ^ Townsend, Brad; Nichols, Bill (September 27, 2006). "Byron Nelson: Golf's legend, par excellence". The Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on February 6, 2007.
24. ^ "American Golf Legend Nelson Dies". BBC Sport. September 26, 2006. Archived from the original on May 13, 2012.
25. ^ "ACU Remembers: Dr. Charles Nelson". Abilene Christian University. June 11, 2018. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
26. ^ Albers, Bucky (September 27, 2006). "Dayton was Byron Nelson's 2nd home". Dayton Daily News. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007.
27. ^ Rude, Jeff. "Legendary memories: Byron Nelson was larger than life, and I was lucky to call him a friend". Golf Week. Archived from the original on October 31, 2006.
28. ^ Celizic, Mike (October 3, 2006). "Death of Nelson shuts door on greatest era: 'Lord Byron' embodied the essence of the game like no one else". MSNBC. Archived from the original on October 31, 2006. Retrieved November 2, 2006.
29. ^ O'Connor, Ian (April 11, 2008). "Chapter 8: Master of Disaster". Arnie & Jack: Palmer, Nicklaus, and Golf's Greatest Rivalry. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 978-0618754465.
30. ^ Yocom, Guy (July 2000). "50 Greatest Golfers of All Time: And What They Taught Us". Golf Digest. Archived from the original on December 17, 2007. Retrieved December 5, 2007.
31. ^ The Golf Book'. Sports Illustrated. 2009. p. 147. ISBN 978-1603200851.
32. ^ Nicklaus, Jack; Bowden, Ken (1978). On and Off the Fairway. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9780671225681.
33. ^ Senate Resolution 602 (2006)
34. ^ Pub. L. 109–357 (text) (PDF) (Byron Nelson Congressional Gold Medal Act)
35. ^ Anderson, Dave (June 27, 2007). "An Honor for Byron Nelson, Golf's Patron Saint". The New York Times.
36. ^ "A Look at Northwest ISD's Second High School". Archived from the original on November 26, 2010. Retrieved May 19, 2007.
37. ^ Barkow, Al (1989). The History of the PGA TOUR. Doubleday. p. 263. ISBN 0-385-26145-4.

External links

[edit]

• Byron Nelson at the PGA Tour official site
• Memorial Page for Byron Nelson, Hilltop Church of Christ, Roanoke, Texas (includes biographical sketch, quotations, photographs, and links to obituaries)
• Byron Nelson's Congressional Medal
• Tribute to Byron Nelson
• HP Byron Nelson Championship Web site - golf tournament named after Byron Nelson
• HP Byron Nelson Championship Media Guide - contains biographical information

Byron Nelson in the major championships

v t e Masters Tournament champions 1934 Horton Smith 1935 Gene Sarazen† 1936 Horton Smith 1937 Byron Nelson 1938 Henry Picard 1939 Ralph Guldahl 1940 Jimmy Demaret 1941‡ Craig Wood 1942 Byron Nelson† 1946 Herman Keiser 1947 Jimmy Demaret 1948 Claude Harmon 1949 Sam Snead 1950 Jimmy Demaret 1951 Ben Hogan 1952 Sam Snead 1953 Ben Hogan 1954 Sam Snead† 1955 Cary Middlecoff 1956 Jack Burke Jr. 1957 Doug Ford 1958 Arnold Palmer 1959 Art Wall Jr. 1960‡ Arnold Palmer 1961 Gary Player 1962 Arnold Palmer† 1963 Jack Nicklaus 1964 Arnold Palmer 1965 Jack Nicklaus 1966 Jack Nicklaus† 1967 Gay Brewer 1968 Bob Goalby 1969 George Archer 1970 Billy Casper† 1971 Charles Coody 1972‡ Jack Nicklaus 1973 Tommy Aaron 1974 Gary Player 1975 Jack Nicklaus 1976‡ Raymond Floyd 1977 Tom Watson 1978 Gary Player 1979 Fuzzy Zoeller† 1980 Seve Ballesteros 1981 Tom Watson 1982 Craig Stadler† 1983 Seve Ballesteros 1984 Ben Crenshaw 1985 Bernhard Langer 1986 Jack Nicklaus 1987 Larry Mize† 1988 Sandy Lyle 1989 Nick Faldo† 1990 Nick Faldo† 1991 Ian Woosnam 1992 Fred Couples 1993 Bernhard Langer 1994 José María Olazábal 1995 Ben Crenshaw 1996 Nick Faldo 1997 Tiger Woods 1998 Mark O'Meara 1999 José María Olazábal 2000 Vijay Singh 2001 Tiger Woods 2002 Tiger Woods 2003 Mike Weir† 2004 Phil Mickelson 2005 Tiger Woods† 2006 Phil Mickelson 2007 Zach Johnson 2008 Trevor Immelman 2009 Ángel Cabrera† 2010 Phil Mickelson 2011 Charl Schwartzel 2012 Bubba Watson† 2013 Adam Scott† 2014 Bubba Watson 2015‡ Jordan Spieth 2016 Danny Willett 2017 Sergio García† 2018 Patrick Reed 2019 Tiger Woods 2020 Dustin Johnson 2021 Hideki Matsuyama 2022 Scottie Scheffler 2023 Jon Rahm 2024 Scottie Scheffler 2025 Rory McIlroy† † indicates the event was won in a playoff; ‡ indicates the event was won wire-to-wire; 1943–1945 cancelled due to World War II v t e U.S. Open champions 1895 Horace Rawlins 1896 James Foulis 1897 Joe Lloyd 1898 Fred Herd 1899 Willie Smith 1900 Harry Vardon 1901 Willie Anderson† 1902 Laurie Auchterlonie 1903 Willie Anderson† 1904 Willie Anderson 1905 Willie Anderson 1906 Alex Smith 1907 Alec Ross 1908 Fred McLeod† 1909 George Sargent 1910 Alex Smith† 1911 John McDermott† 1912 John McDermott 1913 Francis Ouimet#† 1914‡ Walter Hagen 1915 Jerome Travers# 1916 Chick Evans# 1919 Walter Hagen† 1920 Ted Ray 1921‡ Jim Barnes 1922 Gene Sarazen 1923 Bobby Jones#† 1924 Cyril Walker 1925 Willie Macfarlane† 1926 Bobby Jones# 1927 Tommy Armour† 1928 Johnny Farrell† 1929 Bobby Jones#† 1930 Bobby Jones# 1931 Billy Burke† 1932 Gene Sarazen 1933 Johnny Goodman# 1934 Olin Dutra 1935 Sam Parks Jr. 1936 Tony Manero 1937 Ralph Guldahl 1938 Ralph Guldahl 1939 Byron Nelson† 1940 Lawson Little† 1941 Craig Wood 1946 Lloyd Mangrum† 1947 Lew Worsham† 1948 Ben Hogan 1949 Cary Middlecoff 1950 Ben Hogan† 1951 Ben Hogan 1952 Julius Boros 1953‡ Ben Hogan 1954 Ed Furgol 1955 Jack Fleck† 1956 Cary Middlecoff 1957 Dick Mayer† 1958 Tommy Bolt 1959 Billy Casper 1960 Arnold Palmer 1961 Gene Littler 1962 Jack Nicklaus† 1963 Julius Boros† 1964 Ken Venturi 1965 Gary Player† 1966 Billy Casper† 1967 Jack Nicklaus 1968 Lee Trevino 1969 Orville Moody 1970‡ Tony Jacklin 1971 Lee Trevino† 1972 Jack Nicklaus 1973 Johnny Miller 1974 Hale Irwin 1975 Lou Graham† 1976 Jerry Pate 1977 Hubert Green 1978 Andy North 1979 Hale Irwin 1980 Jack Nicklaus 1981 David Graham 1982 Tom Watson 1983 Larry Nelson 1984 Fuzzy Zoeller† 1985 Andy North 1986 Raymond Floyd 1987 Scott Simpson 1988 Curtis Strange† 1989 Curtis Strange 1990 Hale Irwin† 1991 Payne Stewart† 1992 Tom Kite 1993 Lee Janzen 1994 Ernie Els† 1995 Corey Pavin 1996 Steve Jones 1997 Ernie Els 1998 Lee Janzen 1999 Payne Stewart 2000‡ Tiger Woods 2001 Retief Goosen† 2002‡ Tiger Woods 2003 Jim Furyk 2004 Retief Goosen 2005 Michael Campbell 2006 Geoff Ogilvy 2007 Ángel Cabrera 2008 Tiger Woods† 2009 Lucas Glover 2010 Graeme McDowell 2011‡ Rory McIlroy 2012 Webb Simpson 2013 Justin Rose 2014‡ Martin Kaymer 2015 Jordan Spieth 2016 Dustin Johnson 2017 Brooks Koepka 2018 Brooks Koepka 2019 Gary Woodland 2020 Bryson DeChambeau 2021 Jon Rahm 2022 Matt Fitzpatrick 2023 Wyndham Clark 2024 Bryson DeChambeau 2025 J. J. Spaun † indicates the event was won in a playoff; ‡ indicates the event was won wire-to-wire; # indicates the event was won by an amateur; 1942–1945 cancelled due to World War II v t e PGA Championship champions Match playera 1916 Jim Barnes 1919 Jim Barnes 1920 Jock Hutchison 1921 Walter Hagen 1922 Gene Sarazen 1923 Gene Sarazen 1924 Walter Hagen 1925 Walter Hagen 1926 Walter Hagen 1927 Walter Hagen 1928 Leo Diegel 1929 Leo Diegel 1930 Tommy Armour 1931 Tom Creavy 1932 Olin Dutra 1933 Gene Sarazen 1934 Paul Runyan 1935 Johnny Revolta 1936 Denny Shute 1937 Denny Shute 1938 Paul Runyan 1939 Henry Picard 1940 Byron Nelson 1941 Vic Ghezzi 1942 Sam Snead 1944 Bob Hamilton 1945 Byron Nelson 1946 Ben Hogan 1947 Jim Ferrier 1948 Ben Hogan 1949 Sam Snead 1950 Chandler Harper 1951 Sam Snead 1952 Jim Turnesa 1953 Walter Burkemo 1954 Chick Harbert 1955 Doug Ford 1956 Jack Burke Jr. 1957 Lionel Hebert Stroke playera 1958 Dow Finsterwald 1959 Bob Rosburg 1960 Jay Hebert 1961 Jerry Barber† 1962 Gary Player 1963 Jack Nicklaus 1964‡ Bobby Nichols 1965 Dave Marr 1966 Al Geiberger 1967 Don January† 1968 Julius Boros 1969‡ Raymond Floyd 1970 Dave Stockton 1971 Jack Nicklaus 1972 Gary Player 1973 Jack Nicklaus 1974 Lee Trevino 1975 Jack Nicklaus 1976 Dave Stockton 1977 Lanny Wadkins† 1978 John Mahaffey† 1979 David Graham† 1980 Jack Nicklaus 1981 Larry Nelson 1982‡ Raymond Floyd 1983‡ Hal Sutton 1984 Lee Trevino 1985 Hubert Green 1986 Bob Tway 1987 Larry Nelson† 1988 Jeff Sluman 1989 Payne Stewart 1990 Wayne Grady 1991 John Daly 1992 Nick Price 1993 Paul Azinger† 1994 Nick Price 1995 Steve Elkington† 1996 Mark Brooks† 1997 Davis Love III 1998 Vijay Singh 1999 Tiger Woods 2000‡ Tiger Woods† 2001 David Toms 2002 Rich Beem 2003 Shaun Micheel 2004 Vijay Singh† 2005 Phil Mickelson 2006 Tiger Woods 2007 Tiger Woods 2008 Pádraig Harrington 2009 Y. E. Yang 2010 Martin Kaymer† 2011 Keegan Bradley† 2012 Rory McIlroy 2013 Jason Dufner 2014 Rory McIlroy 2015 Jason Day 2016 Jimmy Walker 2017 Justin Thomas 2018 Brooks Koepka 2019 Brooks Koepka 2020 Collin Morikawa 2021 Phil Mickelson 2022 Justin Thomas† 2023 Brooks Koepka 2024‡ Xander Schauffele 2025 Scottie Scheffler † indicates the event was won in a playoff; ‡ indicates the event was won wire-to-wire; 1943 cancelled due to World War II

Byron Nelson in the Ryder Cup

v t e American Ryder Cup captains 1927 Walter Hagen 1929 Walter Hagen 1931 Walter Hagen 1933 Walter Hagen 1935 Walter Hagen 1937 Walter Hagen 1947 Ben Hogan 1949 Ben Hogan 1951 Sam Snead 1953 Lloyd Mangrum 1955 Chick Harbert 1957 Jack Burke Jr. 1959 Sam Snead 1961 Jerry Barber 1963 Arnold Palmer 1965 Byron Nelson 1967 Ben Hogan 1969 Sam Snead 1971 Jay Hebert 1973 Jack Burke Jr. 1975 Arnold Palmer 1977 Dow Finsterwald 1979 Billy Casper 1981 Dave Marr 1983 Jack Nicklaus 1985 Lee Trevino 1987 Jack Nicklaus 1989 Raymond Floyd 1991 Dave Stockton 1993 Tom Watson 1995 Lanny Wadkins 1997 Tom Kite 1999 Ben Crenshaw 2002 Curtis Strange 2004 Hal Sutton 2006 Tom Lehman 2008 Paul Azinger 2010 Corey Pavin 2012 Davis Love III 2014 Tom Watson 2016 Davis Love III 2018 Jim Furyk 2021 Steve Stricker 2023 Zach Johnson 2025 Keegan Bradley v t e United States Ryder Cup team – 1937 Ed Dudley Ralph Guldahl Tony Manero Byron Nelson Henry Picard Johnny Revolta Gene Sarazen Denny Shute Horton Smith Sam Snead Walter Hagen (non-playing captain) Won: 8 – 4 v t e United States Ryder Cup team – 1947 Herman Barron Jimmy Demaret Dutch Harrison Herman Keiser Lloyd Mangrum Byron Nelson Ed Oliver Sam Snead Lew Worsham Ben Hogan (playing captain) Won: 11 – 1 v t e United States Ryder Cup team – 1965 Julius Boros Billy Casper Tommy Jacobs Don January Tony Lema Gene Littler Dave Marr Arnold Palmer Ken Venturi Byron Nelson (non-playing captain) Won: 19.5 – 12.5 Johnny Pott: Made the team, but did not participate in the event due to a back injury.

v t e AP Male Athlete of the Year winners

1931: Pepper Martin 1932: Gene Sarazen 1933: Carl Hubbell 1934: Dizzy Dean 1935: Joe Louis 1936: Jesse Owens 1937: Don Budge 1938: Don Budge 1939: Nile Kinnick 1940: Tom Harmon 1941: Joe DiMaggio 1942: Frank Sinkwich 1943: Gunder Hägg 1944: Byron Nelson 1945: Byron Nelson 1946: Glenn Davis 1947: Johnny Lujack 1948: Lou Boudreau 1949: Leon Hart 1950: Jim Konstanty 1951: Dick Kazmaier 1952: Bob Mathias 1953: Ben Hogan 1954: Willie Mays 1955: Howard Cassady 1956: Mickey Mantle 1957: Ted Williams 1958: Herb Elliott 1959: Ingemar Johansson 1960: Rafer Johnson 1961: Roger Maris 1962: Maury Wills 1963: Sandy Koufax 1964: Don Schollander 1965: Sandy Koufax 1966: Frank Robinson 1967: Carl Yastrzemski 1968: Denny McLain 1969: Tom Seaver 1970: George Blanda 1971: Lee Trevino 1972: Mark Spitz 1973: O. J. Simpson 1974: Muhammad Ali 1975: Fred Lynn 1976: Bruce Jenner 1977: Steve Cauthen 1978: Ron Guidry 1979: Willie Stargell 1980: U.S. Olympic Hockey Team 1981: John McEnroe 1982: Wayne Gretzky 1983: Carl Lewis 1984: Carl Lewis 1985: Dwight Gooden 1986: Larry Bird 1987: Ben Johnson 1988: Orel Hershiser 1989: Joe Montana 1990: Joe Montana 1991: Michael Jordan 1992: Michael Jordan 1993: Michael Jordan 1994: George Foreman 1995: Cal Ripken Jr. 1996: Michael Johnson 1997: Tiger Woods 1998: Mark McGwire 1999: Tiger Woods 2000: Tiger Woods 2001: Barry Bonds 2002: Lance Armstrong 2003: Lance Armstrong 2004: Lance Armstrong 2005: Lance Armstrong 2006: Tiger Woods 2007: Tom Brady 2008: Michael Phelps 2009: Jimmie Johnson 2010: Drew Brees 2011: Aaron Rodgers 2012: Michael Phelps 2013: LeBron James 2014: Madison Bumgarner 2015: Stephen Curry 2016: LeBron James 2017: Jose Altuve 2018: LeBron James 2019: Kawhi Leonard 2020: LeBron James 2021: Shohei Ohtani 2022: Aaron Judge 2023: Shohei Ohtani 2024: Shohei Ohtani 2025: Shohei Ohtani

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