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Byron Nelson

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Byron Nelson
Personal information
Full nameJohn Byron Nelson, Jr.
NicknameLord Byron
Height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Sporting nationality United States
Career
Turned professional1932
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)
(For a full list of awards, see here)

John Byron Nelson, Jr. (February 4, 1912 – September 26, 2006) was an American PGA Tour golfer between 1935 and 1946.

He and two other well known golfers of the time, Ben Hogan and Sam Snead, were born within 6 months of each other in 1912.[1][2] 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 HP Byron Nelson Championship, the first PGA Tour event to be named for a professional golfer. In 1974, Byron Nelson received the Bob Jones Award, the highest honor given by the United States Golf Association in recognition of distinguished sportsmanship in golf.[3]

He became the second recipient of the PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997, and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.[3] in 1974. He received the 1994 Old Tom Morris Award from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, GCSAA's highest honor. Nelson received the Congressional Gold Medal shortly after his death in 2006.

Early life and career

Born near Waxahachie, Texas, Byron Nelson was the son of Madge Allen Nelson and John Byron Nelson, Sr. 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 a Church of Christ at age 18, and John Byron Sr., raised Presbyterian, was baptized in a 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 later 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 in later life.[4]

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.[4] 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."[5] 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."[6] The club later changed its policy and sponsored the Glen Garden Caddie Tournament, where a 14-year-old Nelson beat fellow caddy and future golf great Ben Hogan by a single stroke after a nine-hole playoff.[4][6]

In 1934, Nelson was working as a golf pro in Texarkana, Texas, when he met future wife Louise Shofner, to whom he was married 50 years before she died in 1985 after two severe strokes.[4]

Championship heyday

After turning professional in 1932, Nelson waited until 1935 to post his first victory 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".[7] Nelson won his first major event at The Masters in 1937, winning by two shots over Ralph Guldahl. During this tournament he shot a first-round 66, which stood as a record as the lowest first round in the Masters history until Raymond Floyd had 65 in the 1976 event.[8] Nelson would subsequently win four more major tournaments, the U.S. Open in 1939, the PGA Championship in 1940 and 1945, and a second Masters in 1942. 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; this is not true.[9]

In his career, Nelson won 52 professional events. Nelson won the Vardon Trophy in 1939.[10] He played on the U.S. Ryder Cup teams in 1937 and 1947 and was non-playing captain of the team in 1965.[10] After 1946, Nelson curtailed his schedule although he continued to make regular appearances at The Masters as a competitor, and later as a ceremonial starter for many years.[10]

Record-breaking year

In 1945 Nelson enjoyed a record-breaking year, winning 18 tournaments including 11 in a row.[10] Both records are still yet to be beaten. Nelson however lost many chances at major championships during this year, and previous years, because of the war, and only won the 1945 PGA Championship.[10] There has been debate to how impressive these results are, as it was believed to be a weakened tour due to the war.[11] 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.[11] Both Snead and Hogan won multiple times on the tour in 1945.[11] During this year Nelson finished second another 7 times, set a record for the scoring average that was only recently broken (68.33, 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).[11] 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."[12] Even more recently, Tiger Woods referred to the year as "one of the greatest years in the history of the sport."[12]

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.

Death and legacy

Nelson died Tuesday, September 26, 2006.[13] 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, and brother Charles, a professor emeritus at Abilene Christian University, where Byron Nelson had been a trustee and benefactor. Nelson met his second wife, the former Peggy Simmons, when she volunteered at the Bogie Busters celebrity golf tournament in Dayton, Ohio in 1985.[14]

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.[13] Many of his obituaries referenced this reputation.[15][16]

He has several successful years as a television golf commentator. Nelson had a significant role in the development of Tom Watson as a world-class player in the mid-1970s.

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.[17]

Several of the obituary columns mentioned Nelson's Christian beliefs, and one widely quoted column by PGA.com's Grant Boone drew a direct connection between these beliefs and Nelson's positive reputation: "Byron Nelson wasn't randomly respectable, not generically good. He was a follower of Christ, and his discipleship dictated his decency, demeanor, decision-making, and the way he dealt with people. ... But Nelson never brandished his faith as a weapon, choosing instead to extend an empty and open hand in friendship to all comers. And did they ever come. Wherever the debate over which golfer is the best of all time ends, Byron Nelson was the game's finest man, hands down."[18]

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 October 16, 2006, President George W. Bush approved H.R. 4902 awarding Byron Nelson the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest award that can be 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.[19] Senate Resolution 602 memorialized Nelson on September 29, 2006.

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 is expected to open in 2009. The school will be located in Trophy Club, Texas, near Nelson's hometown of Roanoke.[20]

Orange County Choppers built three choppers in dedication which were auctioned off.

PGA Tour wins (52)

Major championships are shown in bold.

Source: (Barkow 1989, pp. 263)

Other wins (12)

Major Championships

Wins (5)

Year Championship 54 Holes Winning Score Margin Runner(s) Up
1937 The Masters 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 Craig Wood, United States Denny Shute
1940 PGA Championship N/A 1 up 1 stroke United States Sam Snead
1942 The Masters (2) 2 shot lead -6 (68-67-72-73=280) Playoff 2 United States Ben Hogan
1945 PGA Championship (2) N/A 4 & 3 4 strokes United States Sam Byrd

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

Results timeline

Tournament 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939
The Masters DNP T9 T13 1 5 7
U.S. Open CUT T32 CUT T20 T5 1
The Open Championship DNP DNP DNP 5 DNP DNP
PGA Championship DNP DNP DNP QF QF F
Tournament 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949
The Masters 3 2 1 NT NT NT T7 T2 T8 T8
U.S. Open T5 T17 NT NT NT NT T2 DNP DNP CUT
The Open Championship NT NT NT NT NT NT DNP DNP DNP DNP
PGA Championship 1 F SF NT F 1 QF DNP DNP DNP
Tournament 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959
The Masters T4 T8 T24 T29 T12 T10 39 T16 T20 WD
U.S. Open DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP T28 DNP DNP DNP DNP
The Open Championship DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP T32 DNP DNP DNP DNP
PGA Championship DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
Tournament 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966
The Masters CUT T32 T33 CUT CUT T15 CUT
U.S. Open DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
The Open Championship DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
PGA Championship DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP

NT = No tournament
DNP = Did not play
WD = Withdrew
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Green background for wins. Yellow background for Top 10.

Awards

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Kelley, Brent. "Biography of golfer Ben Hogan". Retrieved 2007-05-25.
  2. ^ Kelley, Brent. "Biography of golfer Sam Snead". Retrieved 2007-05-25.
  3. ^ a b "World Golf Hall of Fame Profile: Byron Nelson". Retrieved 2007-05-22.
  4. ^ a b c d Legendary golfer Byron Nelson, a faithful church member, dies at 94, by Bobby Ross, Jr., The Christian Chronicle Cite error: The named reference "cchron" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  5. ^ The Gigantic Book of Golf Quotations, ed. Jim Apfelbaum. 2007.
  6. ^ a b Grace, style and morality: Nelson will be known as 'legend who will never fade', obituary by Art Stricklin, Sports Illustrated, September 26, 2006 (retrieved November 2, 2006) Cite error: The named reference "siobit" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  7. ^ Kessler, Peter. "Golf's great gentleman looks back -- and ahead" (interview). Golf Magazine. Retrieved 2007-05-22.
  8. ^ Townsend, Brad. "A course for success" (Timeline). The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved 2007-05-22.
  9. ^ Nelson, Byron (1993). How I Played the Game. Taylor Trade Publishing. ISBN 0-8783-3819-5. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ a b c d e "About Golf: Biography of Golfer Byron Nelson". Retrieved 2007-05-18.
  11. ^ a b c d Kelley, Brent. "Top 10 Individual Seasons in Men's Golf History". Retrieved 2007-05-21.
  12. ^ a b "Byron Nelson: The Sand Trap". Retrieved 2007-05-22.
  13. ^ a b Byron Nelson, Golf Champion, Is Dead at 94, by Richard Goldstein, The New York Times, September 26, 2006 (retrieved November 1, 2006)
  14. ^ Nelson obituary in the Dayton Daily News
  15. ^ Legendary memories: Byron Nelson was larger than life, and I was lucky to call him a friend, Jeff Rude, "Our Take" (column), Golf Week
  16. ^ Death of Nelson shuts door on greatest era: ‘Lord Byron’ embodied the essence of the game like no one else, by Mike Celizic (column), MSNBC.com, October 3, 2006 (retrieved November 2, 2006)
  17. ^ Yocom, Guy (2000). "50 Greatest Golfers of All Time: And What They Taught Us". Golf Digest. Retrieved 2007-12-05. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  18. ^ Full Nelson ("Grant Me This" column), Grant Boone, PGA.com, September 27, 2006 (retrieved November 2, 2006)
  19. ^ H.R. 4902: Byron Nelson Congressional Gold Medal Act
  20. ^ "A Look at Northwest ISD's Second High School". Retrieved 2007-05-19.

References

Barkow, Al (1989), The History of the PGA TOUR, Doubleday, ISBN 0-385-26145-4

External links

Preceded by Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year
1944, 1945 		Succeeded by


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