Byron Nelson
Name:
John Byron Nelson JrAlso known as:
Lord ByronCountry:
USALived:
[1912-2006]. Born on Feb 4, 1912 in Waxahachie, Texas. Died on Sept 26, 2006 in Roanoke, Texas, aged 94.Original/Home Club:
Fort Worth, TexasOccupation:
Professional golfer, rancher.Turned Pro:
1932MAJORS (5): US Open (1939); Masters Tournament (1937, '42); PGA Championship (1940, '45). Ryder Cup player (1937, '47); Ryder Cup captain (1965). Total professional wins (64), including PGA Tour (52). Other wins included the 1955 French Open. PGA Tour leading money winner (1944, '45).
Old Tom Morris Award (1994, GCSAA). Donald Ross Award (2002, ASGCA). Don A. Rossi Award (2009, GCBAA). World Golf Hall of Fame (inducted in 1974). Awarded one of the USA's two highest civilian honours, the Congressional Gold Medal (2006).
Byron Nelson, nicknamed Lord Byron, was one of the greatest players and ambassadors of golf in the mid-1900s. Together with Sam Snead and Ben Hogan (all born within seven months of each other in 1912), they formed the great golfing triumverate of the time. Between 1935-51 Nelson accumulated 52 PGA Tour titles, including five major championships.
In the 1945 season, he won 18 PGA Tour tiles, including 11 straight wins, an achievement never likely to be repeated. Even allowing for the absence of several players who were still in military service, Nelson's record in 1945 was extraordinary. The 11 back-to-back wins were played with a stroke average of 67.9 per round, more than six shots better than the average of players finishing second.
At the age of 34 Nelson retired from full-time professional golf, preferring the life of a rancher in his home state of Texas. When the Dallas Open became the Byron Nelson Classic in 1968, it was the first time a PGA Tour event carried a professional golfer's name.
Europe
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Played as the Open de France. Second-placed Harry Weetman (Eng) finished 2 shots behind Nelson (USA), the second of only a few Americans to have won this title. [Vallée course, Racing Club de France (RCF), La Boulie GC, Versailles, nr Paris].
America
Bing Crosby
Played as the Bing Crosby Pro-Am (Jan 12-14; 54-hole event). Second-placed Cary Middlecoff (USA) finished 3 shots behind Nelson (USA). [Pebble Beach Links, Monterey Peninsula, CA. Earlier rounds also at: Cypress Point Club and Monterey Peninsula CC].
America
x
Played as the Los Angeles Open (Jan 4-7). Second-placed Ben Hogan (USA) finished 5 shots behind Nelson (USA). [Riviera CC, Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, CA].
America
Zooligans
Played as the inaugural Columbus $10,000 Invitational (July 5-7). Second-placed Ed "Porky" Oliver (USA) finished 2 shots behind Nelson (USA). [Columbus CC, Columbus, Ohio].
America
x
Played as the Chicago Victory National Open (July 18-21). Second-placed Harold "Jug" McSpaden (USA) finished 2 shots behind defending champion Byron Nelson (USA). [No.3 Course, Medinah CC, Bloomingdale, nr Chicago, IL].
America
x
Played as the New Orleans Open (Feb 14-17). Second-placed Ben Hogan (USA) finished 5 shots behind defending champion Byron Nelson (USA). [Bayou Oaks at City Park, New Orleans, LA. Played on what was known as City Park's No.1 (East) course; now part of the South course).
America
x
Played as the inaugural Houston Open (May 9-12). Second-placed Ben Hogan (USA) finished 2 shots behind Byron Nelson (USA). [River Oaks CC, Houston, TX].
Played as the San Francisco Open.
Played as the Esmeralda Open.
Played as the Knoxville Invitational.
America
x
Played as the Phoenix Open (Jan 11-14). Second-placed Denny Shute (USA) finished 2 shots behind Nelson (USA), who recorded the first of his 18 wins in 1945. [Phoenix CC, Phoenix, AZ].
America
x
Played as the Charlotte Open (March 16-21). Byron Nelson (USA) beat Sam Snead (USA) in an 18-hole Tuesday playoff (Nelson 69, Snead 73), after both players tied on 69 (-3) in an 18-hole Monday playoff. [Myers Park CC, Charlotte, NC].
America
x
Played as the Seattle Open (Oct 11-14; last played in 1936; next played in 1961). Second-placed Harold "Jug" McSpaden (USA) and Harry Givan (USA, amateur) finished 13 shots behind Byron Nelson (USA), whose 259 set a new 72-hole low score record on the PGA Tour. [Broadmoor GC, Seattle, WA].
Awards
PGA of America
Nelson (USA) won his second PGA Tour leading money winner title, with 1945 season earnings of $63,333 on the Tour.
America
x
Played as the New Orleans Open (Feb 9-13). Byron Nelson (USA) beat Harold "Jug" McSpaden (USA) in an 18-hole Tuesday playoff (Nelson 7-under-par 65, McSpaden 70). Sunday's final two rounds postponed until Monday due to heavy rain. [Bayou Oaks at City Park, New Orleans, LA. Played on what was known as City Park's No.1 (East) course; now part of the South course).
America
x
Played as the Canadian Open (Aug 2-4). Second-placed Herman Barron (USA) finished 4 shots behind Byron Nelson (USA). This was the last of Nelson's 11-in-a-row wins on the PGA Tour. [Thornhill G&CC, Vaughan, Toronto, Ont.].
Played as the Miami Four-Ball.
Majors
PGA of America
The US PGA Championship (27th) (July 9-15). Nelson (USA) beat Sam Byrd (USA) 4 and 3 in the 36-hole final. Byrd held a 2-up lead after the first 18 holes of the final, finished the round with four straight birdies. Nelson rallied in the afternoon on the final day, winning or halving all the remaining holes from the 22nd. [Moraine CC, Dayton, Ohio].
America
George S. May
Played as the All American Open (July 26-30; aka the Tam O'Shanter). Second-placed Lt. Ben Hogan (USA) and Gene Sarazen (USA) finished 11 shots behind defending champion Byron Nelson (USA), who won this event for the fourth time in five years. [Tam O'Shanter CC, Niles, nr Chicago, IL; now the municipal Tam O'Shanter Golf Course].
America
x
Played as the Atlanta Open (April 5-8). Second-placed Sam Byrd (USA) finished 9 shots behind Nelson (USA), who won his fifth straight PGA Tour event in as many weeks, which was part of his incredible streak of 11 wins in a row. [Brookhaven course, Capital City Club, Atlanta, GA].
America
Philadelphia Inquirer
Played as the Philadelphia Inquirer Open (June 14-17). Second-placed Harold "Jug" McSpaden (USA) finished 2 shots behind Byron Nelson (USA), whose final round 7-under-par 63 included birdies at each of the final four holes. [Llanerch CC, Havertown, nr Philadelphia, PA].
America
x
Played as the Chicago Victory National Open (Jun 29-Jul 1). Second-placed Ky Laffoon (USA) and defending champion Harold "Jug" McSpaden (USA) finished 7 shots behind Byron Nelson (USA). [Calumet CC, Homewood, nr Chicago, Illinois].
Played as the Corpus Christi Open.
Played as the Durham Open.
America
x
Played as the Greater Greensboro Open (March 22-25). Second-placed and defending champion Sam Byrd (USA) finished 8 shots behind Nelson (USA), who recorded his second win in this event. [Starmount Forest CC, Greensboro, NC].
Played as the Montreal Open.
Played as the Knoxville War Bond Tournament.
America
x
Played as the inaugural Texas Victory Open (Sept 7-10). Second-placed Harold "Jug" McSpaden (USA) finished 10 shots behind Nelson (USA). [Lakewood CC, Dallas, TX].
America
George S. May
Played as the All American Open (Aug 25-28; aka the Tam O'Shanter; the biggest first-prize ever bestowed in world golf). Second-placed Ed Dudley (USA) finished 5 shots behind Byron Nelson (USA). [Tam O'Shanter CC, Niles, nr Chicago, IL; now the municipal Tam O'Shanter Golf Course].
Played as the San Francisco Victory Open.
Played as the San Francisco Open.
Played as the New York Red Cross Tournament.
Played as the Minneapolis Four-Ball.
Played as the Nashville Open.
Awards
PGA of America
Nelson (USA) was the PGA Tour 1944 leading money winner, with earnings of $37,967 on the Tour.
America
George S. May
Played as the Tam O'Shanter Open (July 23-27). Defending champion Byron Nelson (USA) beat Clayton Heafner (USA) in an 18-hole Monday playoff (Nelson 67, Heafner 71). [Tam O'Shanter CC, Niles, nr Chicago, IL; now the municipal Tam O'Shanter Golf Course].
Majors
x
The Masters Tournament (9th) (April 9-12). Nelson (USA) beat Ben Hogan (USA) in an 18-hole playoff: Nelson 69 (-3), Hogan 70 (-2). This was Nelson's second Masters title. [Augusta National GC, Augusta, GA].
America
x
Played as the Oakland Open (Jan 15-18). Second-placed Johnny Dawson (USA, amateur) finished 5 shots behind Byron Nelson (USA). [Sequoyah CC, Oakland, California].
America
x
Played as the Miami Open (Dec 11-14). Second-placed Ben Hogan (USA) finished 5 shots behind defending champion Byron Nelson (USA). [Miami Springs G&CC, Miami, FL; at the time known as Miami Springs Municipal Course].
America
x
Played as the Greater Greensboro Open (March 20-23). Second-placed Vic Ghezzi (USA) finished 2 shots behind Nelson (USA). [Sedgefield CC and Starmount Forest CC, Greensboro, NC].
America
George S. May
Played as the inaugural Tam O'Shanter Open (Sept 4-7). Second-placed Ben Hogan (USA) and Leonard Dodson (USA) finished 1 shot behind Byron Nelson (USA). [Tam O'Shanter CC, Niles, nr Chicago, IL; now the municipal Tam O'Shanter Golf Course].
America
x
Played as the Miami Open (Dec 13-15). Second-placed Clayton Heafner (USA) finished 1 shot behind Byron Nelson (USA). [Miami Springs G&CC, Miami, FL; at the time known as Miami Springs Municipal Course].
Majors
PGA of America
The US PGA Championship (23rd) (Aug 26-Sep 2). Nelson (USA) beat Sam Snead (USA) 1-up in the 36-hole final. [West course, Hershey CC, Hershey, PA].
America
x
Played as the Texas Open (Feb 9-12). Byron Nelson (USA) beat Ben Hogan (USA) in an 18-hole Monday playoff: Nelson 70 (-1), Hogan 71 (E). [Brackenridge Park GC, San Antonio, TX].
Awards
PGA of America
Nelson (USA) won the PGA of America Vardon Trophy, based on a season-long points accumulation.
Majors
USGA
The US Open (43rd) (June 8-12). Nelson (USA) beat Craig Wood (USA) in the second of two 18-hole playoffs. First playoff: Nelson 68 (-1), Wood 68 (-1), Denny Shute 76 (+7; eliminated). Second playoff: Nelson 70 (+1), Wood 73 (+4). [Spring Mill course, Philadelphia CC, Gladwyne, nr Philadelphia, PA].
America
x
Played as the Phoenix Open (Feb 3-5; 54-hole tournament; last played in 1935). Second-placed Ben Hogan (USA) finished 12 shots behind Nelson (USA). [Phoenix CC, Phoenix, AZ].
America
WGA
Played as the Western Open (July 21-23). Second-placed Lloyd Mangrum (USA) finished 1 shot behind Byron Nelson (USA). [No.3 Course, Medinah CC, Bloomingdale, nr Chicago, IL; early rounds also played on the par-70 No.1 course].
America
x
Played as the North & South Open (March 21-23). Second-placed Horton Smith (USA) finished 2 shots behind Byron Nelson (USA). [No.2 Course, Pinehurst Resort, North Carolina].
Played as the Hollywood Open.
America
x
Played as the Thomasville Open (Feb 25-27). Second-placed and defending champion Dick Metz (USA) finished 4 shots behind Byron Nelson (USA), who recorded his fifth PGA Tour win. [Glen Arven CC, Thomasville, Georgia].
Majors
x
The Masters Tournament (4th) (April 1-4; played as the Augusta National Invitation Tournament). Second-placed Ralph Guldahl (USA) finished 2 shots behind Nelson (USA), who recorded the first of his two Masters wins. [Augusta National GC, Augusta, GA].
Played as the Belmont Country Club Match Play.
America
Metropolitan GA
Played as the Metropolitan Open (May 21-23). Second-placed Craig Wood (USA) finished 2 shots behind Byron Nelson (USA), who recorded his second PGA Tour win. [Quaker Ridge GC, Scarsdale, nr New York City, NY].
America
x
Played as the New Jersey State Open (Aug 8-10). Second-placed Jack Forrester (Scot) finished 3 shots behind 24-year-old Byron Nelson (USA), who recorded his first win as a professional. [Suneagles GC, Eatontown, NJ; at the time called Monmouth County CC].
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