Byron Nelson
Byron Nelson was a fantastic professional golfer, but he will be remembered as an even better ambassador of the game and, beyond that, a finer person. Born in rural Texas in 1912 (the same year as Sam Snead and Ben Hogan), his family moved to Ft. Worth when Byron was ten where he took up the game as a caddie at Glen Garden CC. He met and played golf with Hogan there and later watched Walter Hagen compete in the PGA Championship over in nearby Dallas – the game had consumed him.
His career highlights are well documented: 52 Tour wins (now one behind Tiger Woods) with eight of those coming in 1944 and 18 more in the incredible ‘45 campaign where he registered 11 victories in-a-row. Nelson captured five majors, but keep in mind he only competed twice in the Open Championship. Byron made 113 consecutive cuts (“In the money” as he called it) a streak recently broken by Woods. Most importantly to him though was the renaming of the Dallas Open to the Byron Nelson Classic in 1968.
While those are the most recognizable career achievements, they’re only the tip of the iceberg. Here are some other nuggets helping chronicle a unique individual:
• His nickname “Lord Byron” stems from the famous European poet.
• He beat Hogan by one shot for the caddie championship at Glen Garden. • Developed his powerful and accurate swing when the game was transitioning from hickory shafts to steel
• Witnessed Gene Sarazen’s double eagle on the 15th hole in the ’35 Masters from the adjacent 17th fairway
• Nelson was exempt from military service in World War II because of hemophilia (a hereditary bleeding disorder).
• His 18 wins in the ’45 season were captured by a total of 100 strokes. • During the streak Nelson had a single endorsement deal with Wheaties for $200
• Essentially retired from full-time competition at age 34 to complete the building of his ranch in Roanoke, TX
• Won his last Tour event at Pebble Beach during the ’51 Bing Crosby Pro-Am
• Favorite championship course: Olympic Club (Lakeside)
• Asked by Bobby Jones to take his place, for years Byron played the last day with the third round leader of the Masters and continued hitting the tournament’s ceremonial opening tee shot into the 21st Century
• Captained the victorious ’65 United States Ryder Cup team • Analyst for ABC golf coverage from 1963-1977
• Mentored the likes of: Ken Venturi, Harvie Ward, Tom Watson, Gene Littler, David Graham and Ben Crenshaw
• Nelson met Tiger Woods at a charity event when Tiger was 14 – “He was a guy I idolized and it really touched me,” recalled Woods.
• Byron estimated that of the first one billion dollars the PGA Tour donated to charitable causes, his tournament (The Byron Nelson Classic) contributed over 10% of that figure.
Towards the end of ’05, I had the opportunity to spend a couple hours with Mr. Nelson at his home in Texas – the same house he’d built in ‘46. His close friends from CBS Sports, Jim Nantz and coordinating producer Lance Barrow, had set up a lunch date and I was invited to tag along. Byron’s wonderful wife, Peggy, prepared his favorite meal – half a hot dog, sweet pickles and a fruit smoothie.
Nelson talked to us for a couple of hours and as usual his recollection of events from long ago was razor-sharp. A most memorable tale centered on a month-long exhibition tour that he took down to South America in the late 30s. To fly from Texas to Buenos Aires took seven days. His total fee for a month of golf: $1500 (+ expenses).
Byron played most of his competitive golf during the War years and the Depression, but he was anything but unhappy about life. Incredibly upbeat and cordial, he made a positive impression on everyone he met. Byron Nelson was a great link to the past and will be remembered by future golfers and sportsmen for years and years to come.
