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Byron Nelson

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Byron Nelson
Byron Nelson, c. 1944
Personal information
Full nameJohn Byron Nelson Jr.
NicknameLord Byron
Born(1912-02-04)February 4, 1912
Waxahachie, Texas, U.S.
DiedSeptember 26, 2006(2006-09-26) (aged 94)
Roanoke, Texas, U.S.
Height6 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 professional1932
Former tour(s)PGA Tour
Professional wins64
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour52 (6th all-time)
Other12
Best results in major championships
(wins: 5)
Masters TournamentWon: 1937, 1942
PGA ChampionshipWon: 1940, 1945
U.S. OpenWon: 1939
The Open Championship5th: 1937
Achievements and awards
World Golf Hall of Fame1974 (member page)
Vardon Trophy1939
PGA Tour
leading money winner		1944, 1945
Associated Press
Male Athlete of the Year		1944, 1945
Bob Jones Award1974
PGA Tour Lifetime
Achievement Award		1997
Payne Stewart Award2000
Congressional Gold Medal2006
(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 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

[edit]

Championship heyday

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]
Nelson holding $8,000 worth of war bonds he won during eight major tournaments in 1944.

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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.

Byron Nelson Classic

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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)

[edit]

PGA Tour wins (52)

[edit]
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 United States Jack Forrester
2 May 23, 1936 Metropolitan Open +3 (71-69-72-71=283) 2 strokes United States Craig Wood
3 Apr 4, 1937 Masters Tournament −5 (66-72-75-70=283) 2 strokes United States Ralph Guldahl
4 Sep 28, 1937 Belmont International Open 5 and 4 United States Henry Picard
5 Feb 27, 1938 Thomasville Open −8 (66-73-71-70=280) 4 strokes United States Dick Metz
6 Mar 11, 1938 Hollywood Open −9 (71-68-69-67=275) 1 stroke United States Frank Moore, United States Horton Smith
7 Feb 5, 1939 Phoenix Open −15 (68-65-65=198) 12 strokes United States Ben Hogan
8 Mar 23, 1939 North and South Open −8 (71-68-70-71=280) 2 strokes United States Horton Smith
9 Jun 12, 1939 U.S. Open +8 (72-73-71-68=284) Playoff United States Denny Shute, United States Craig Wood
10 Jul 23, 1939 Western Open −2 (68-72-70-71=281) 1 stroke United States Lloyd Mangrum
11 Feb 12, 1940 Texas Open −13 (68-67-69-67=271) Playoff United States Ben Hogan
12 Sep 2, 1940 PGA Championship 1 up United States Sam Snead
13 Dec 15, 1940 Miami Open −9 (69-65-67-70=271) 1 stroke United States Clayton Heafner
14 Mar 23, 1941 Greater Greensboro Open −6 (72-64-70-70=276) 2 strokes United States Vic Ghezzi
15 Sep 7, 1941 Tam O'Shanter National Open −10 (67-69-72-70=278) 1 stroke United States Leonard Dodson, United States Ben Hogan
16 Dec 14, 1941 Miami Open (2) −11 (70-67-66-66=269) 5 strokes United States Ben Hogan
17 Jan 18, 1942 Oakland Open −6 (67-69-69-69=274) 5 strokes United States Johnny Dawson (a)
18 Apr 13, 1942 Masters Tournament (2) −8 (68-67-72-73=280) Playoff United States Ben Hogan
19 Jul 27, 1942 Tam O'Shanter National Open (2) −8 (67-71-65-77=280) Playoff United States Clayton Heafner
20 Jan 17, 1944 San Francisco Victory Open −13 (68-69-68-70=275) 6 strokes United States Jug McSpaden
21 Apr 2, 1944 Knoxville War Bond Tournament −10 (69-68-66-67=270) 1 stroke United States Jug McSpaden
22 Jun 18, 1944 New York Red Cross Tournament −13 (69-69-66-71=275) 4 strokes United States Vic Ghezzi
23 Jul 9, 1944 Golden Valley Four-Ball
(with United States Jug McSpaden) 		+13 points 3 points United States Bob Hamilton and United States Bill Kaiser
24 Aug 28, 1944 All American Open (3) −8 (68-70-73-69=280) 5 strokes United States Ed Dudley
25 Sep 4, 1944 Nashville Invitational −15 (64-67-68-70=269) 1 stroke United States Jug McSpaden
26 Sep 10, 1944 Texas Victory Open −8 (69-69-70-68=276) 10 strokes United States Jug McSpaden
27 Dec 4, 1944 San Francisco Open (2) −7 (72-71-69-69=281) 1 stroke United States Jim Ferrier
28 Jan 14, 1945 Phoenix Open (2) −10 (68-65-72-69=274) 2 strokes United States Denny Shute
29 Feb 4, 1945 Corpus Christi Open −16 (66-63-65-70=264) 4 strokes United States Jug McSpaden
30 Feb 13, 1945 New Orleans Open −4 (70-70-73-71=284) Playoff United States Jug McSpaden
31 Mar 11, 1945 Miami International Four-Ball
(with United States Jug McSpaden) 		8 and 6 United States Sammy Byrd and United States Denny Shute
32 Mar 21, 1945 Charlotte Open −16 (70-68-66-68=272) Playoff United States Sam Snead
33 Mar 25, 1945 Greater Greensboro Open (2) −13 (70-67-68-66=271) 8 strokes United States Sammy Byrd
34 Apr 1, 1945 Durham Open −4 (71-69-71-65=276) 5 strokes United States Toney Penna
35 Apr 8, 1945 Atlanta Open −13 (64-69-65-65=263) 9 strokes United States Sammy Byrd
36 Jun 10, 1945 Montreal Open −20 (63-68-69-68=268) 10 strokes United States Jug McSpaden
37 Jun 17, 1945 Philadelphia Inquirer Open −11 (68-68-70-63=269) 2 strokes United States Jug McSpaden
38 Jul 1, 1945 Chicago Victory National Open −13 (69-68-68-70=275) 7 strokes United States Ky Laffoon, United States Jug McSpaden
39 Jul 15, 1945 PGA Championship (2) 4 and 3 United States Sammy Byrd
40 Jul 30, 1945 All American Open (4) −19 (66-68-68-67=269) 11 strokes United States Ben Hogan, United States Gene Sarazen
41 Aug 4, 1945 Canadian Open E (68-72-72-68=280) 4 strokes United States Herman Barron
42 Aug 26, 1945 Knoxville Invitational (2) −12 (67-69-73-67=276) 10 strokes United States Sammy Byrd
43 Sep 23, 1945 Esmeralda Open −22 (66-66-70-64=266) 7 strokes United States Jug McSpaden
44 Oct 14, 1945 Seattle Open −21 (62-68-63-66=259) 13 strokes United States Harry Givan (a), United States Jug McSpaden
45 Dec 16, 1945 Fort Worth Open −11 (65-72-66-70=273) 8 strokes United States Jimmy Demaret
46 Jan 7, 1946 Los Angeles Open E (71-69-72-72=284) 5 strokes United States Ben Hogan
47 Jan 13, 1946 San Francisco Open (3) −1 (73-70-72-68=283) 9 strokes United States Herman Barron
48 Feb 17, 1946 New Orleans Open (2) −11 (73-69-69-66=277) 5 strokes United States Ben Hogan
49 May 12, 1946 Houston Open −10 (70-69-67-68=274) 2 strokes United States Ben Hogan
50 Jul 7, 1946 Columbus Invitational −12 (72-68-69-67=276) 2 strokes United States Ed Oliver
51 Jul 21, 1946 Chicago Victory National Open (2) −5 (73-69-69-68=279) 2 strokes United States Jug McSpaden
52 Jan 14, 1951 Bing Crosby Pro-Am −7 (71-67-71=209) 3 strokes United States Cary Middlecoff

PGA Tour playoff record (6–4)

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

[edit]

(This list may be incomplete)

Major championships

[edit]

Wins (5)

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

[edit]
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

[edit]
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

[edit]

See also

[edit]

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.
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