Byron Nelson
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.
| Byron Nelson | |
|---|---|
 c. 1944 | |
| Personal information | |
| Full name | John Byron Nelson Jr. |
| Nickname | Lord Byron |
| Born | February 4, 1912 Waxahachie, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | September 26, 2006 (aged 94) Roanoke, Texas, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Sporting nationality |  United States |
| Spouse | Louise Shofner Nelson (1913–1985) (m. 1934–1985) Peggy Simmons Nelson (b. 1944) (m. 1986–2006)[1] |
| Career | |
| Turned professional | 1932 |
| Former tour(s) | 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 | |
| (For a full list of awards, see here) | |
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 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
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. 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 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
Championship heyday
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Nelson retired officially at the relatively early age of 34 to become a rancher, buying a ranch at Roanoke, Texas.[19]
Nelson later became a television golf commentator, during the 1960s and 1970s.
Byron Nelson Classic
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
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 which 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
Nelson published his memoirs "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
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
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 Simmons,[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
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 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)
PGA Tour wins (52)
| Legend |
| Major championships (5) |
| Other PGA Tour (47) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | 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)
(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
Wins (5)
| Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | Masters Tournament | 4 shot deficit | −5 (66-72-75-70=283) | 2 strokes | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} 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
| 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 |
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
| 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
- 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
References
- Anderson, Dave (June 27, 2007). "An honor for Byron Nelson, Golf's patron saint". The New York Times. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
- Kelley, Brent. "Ben Hogan". About.com. Retrieved May 25, 2007.
- Kelley, Brent. "Sam Snead". About.com. Retrieved May 25, 2007.
- Historic Augusta Leaderboards
- "Byron Nelson profile". World Golf Hall of Fame. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
- Ross, Bobby Jr. "Legendary golfer Byron Nelson, a faithful church member, dies at 94". The Christian Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2007-10-24.
- Apfelbaum, Jim, ed. (2007). The Gigantic Book of Golf Quotations. World Golf Hall of Fame. ISBN 978-1-60239-014-0.
- Stricklin, Art (September 26, 2006). "Grace, style and morality: Nelson will be known as 'legend who will never fade'". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 2, 2006.
- Dodson, James (2004). Ben Hogan: An American Life. Doubleday. ISBN 978-0-385-50312-9.
- Barkow, Al (1985). Gettin' to the Dance Floor: An Oral History of American Golf. Atheneum. ISBN 978-0689115172.
- Kessler, Peter. "Golf's great gentleman looks back – and ahead". Golf Magazine. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved May 22, 2007.
- Townsend, Brad. "A course for success". The Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on November 3, 2006. Retrieved May 22, 2007.
- Nelson, Byron (1993). How I Played the Game. Taylor Trade Publishing. ISBN 978-0-87833-819-1.
- "Tales from the Bunker" Harold "Jug" McSpaden – The Other "Gold Dust Twin"". September 5, 2011. Archived from the original on January 13, 2014.
- Kelley, Brent. "Byron Nelson". About.com. Retrieved May 18, 2007.
- Kelley, Brent. "Top 10 Individual Seasons in Men's Golf History". About.com. Retrieved May 21, 2007.
- Smith, Jeff (September 29, 2006). "Byron Nelson". The Sand Trap. Archived from the original on October 15, 2008. Retrieved May 22, 2007.
- Sommers, Robert (1996). The U.S. Open: Golf's Ultimate Challenge (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. ASIN B011MBVA54.
- "Nelson Retires From Tourneys". The Pittsburgh Press. October 7, 1946. p. 13.
- Nelson, Byron (1993). How I Played the Game. Dallas, Texas: Taylor Publishing Company. pp. 221–247. ISBN 0-87833-819-5.
- Frost, Mark (November 6, 2007). The Match: The Day the Game of Golf Changed Forever. Hyperion Books. ISBN 978-1-4013-0278-8.
- Goldstein, Richard (September 26, 2006). "Byron Nelson, Golf Champion, Is Dead at 94". The New York Times. Retrieved November 1, 2006.
- 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.
- "American Golf Legend Nelson Dies". BBC Sport. September 26, 2006. Archived from the original on May 13, 2012.
- "ACU Remembers: Dr. Charles Nelson". Abilene Christian University. 2018-06-11. Retrieved 2022-04-04.
- Albers, Bucky (September 27, 2006). "Dayton was Byron Nelson's 2nd home". Dayton Daily News. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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- Nicklaus, Jack; Bowden, Ken (1978). On and Off the Fairway. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9780671225681.
- Senate Resolution 602 (2006)
- Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 109–357 (text) (PDF) (Byron Nelson Congressional Gold Medal Act)
- Anderson, Dave (June 27, 2007). "An Honor for Byron Nelson, Golf's Patron Saint". The New York Times.
- "A Look at Northwest ISD's Second High School". Archived from the original on November 26, 2010. Retrieved May 19, 2007.
- Barkow, Al (1989). The History of the PGA TOUR. Doubleday. p. 263. ISBN 0-385-26145-4.
External links
- 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
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