The AT&T Byron Nelson is a
golf
Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible.
Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping ...
tournament in
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
on the
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour (stylized in all capital letters as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in the United States and North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also ...
, currently hosted by
TPC Craig Ranch
TPC Craig Ranch is a private golf club in the south central United States, located within the community of Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas, north-northeast of Dallas.
Designed by major champion Tom Weiskopf, the championship golf course is a memb ...
in
McKinney
McKinney is a city in and the county seat of Collin County, Texas. It is Collin County's third-largest city, after Plano and Frisco. A suburb of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, McKinney is about north of Dallas.
The U.S. Census Bureau lis ...
, northeast of
Dallas
Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
. Held in May, it is one of two PGA Tour stops in the
Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex – which until the
2020-21 PGA Tour, was the only metropolitan area to host two events on separate courses in the area (
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...
and
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the British colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later t ...
have since hosted two events on two separate courses). The tournament is the leading fundraiser for charity on the PGA Tour and has raised more than $143 million. For much of its history, it was the only PGA Tour stop named after a
professional golfer, and remains one of only two such events, along with the
Arnold Palmer Invitational
The Arnold Palmer Invitational is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour. It is played each March at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge, a private golf resort owned since 1974 by Arnold Palmer in Bay Hill, a suburb southwest of Orlando, Florida ...
. As host,
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.
Nelson and two other legendary champions of the time, Ben Hoga ...
commonly made appearances during the tournament. It is hosted by the Salesmanship Club of Dallas, a 600-member civic organization, and has benefited the club's nonprofit Momentous Institute since its inception.
For its first several decades, the tournament was played at various courses in Dallas. Nelson, a Texas native raised in
Fort Worth, was the tournament's first winner in 1944,
[ when it was played at ]Lakewood Country Club Lakewood Country Club is a private country club in Dallas, Texas, United States, founded in 1912, and is now often referred to simply as ''Lakewood''. It is located at the corner of Gaston and Abrams Avenues in Lakewood, Dallas, Texas, about five mi ...
. The following year it was played at Dallas Country Club Dallas Country Club is a country club located in the town of Highland Park in Dallas County, Texas. Located on the northern end of Exall Lake across from Highland Park Village, its borders are Preston Road on the west, Beverly Drive on the south, G ...
, and then in 1946 moved to Brook Hollow Golf Club. For the better part of the next decade the event was not contested, until two iterations of it were held in 1956, both at Preston Hollow Country Club. In 1957, the event moved to Glen Lake Country Club before it began a decade-long relationship with Oak Cliff Country Club, from 1958 to 1967.
In 1968
The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide.
Events January–February
* January 5 – " Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia.
* Janu ...
, , the event was renamed the Byron Nelson Golf Classic and its title, through a series of sponsors, has continuously included Nelson's name. That same year the event moved to Preston Trail Golf Club,[ where it was played through 1982, then moved to venues in Irving: Las Colinas Sports Club (1983–1985) and TPC at Las Colinas (1986–1993).
Beginning in ]1994
File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which sank in the Baltic Sea; Nelson ...
, the tournament was played at two courses, the Tournament Players Course and the Cottonwood Valley Course, both located at the Four Seasons. Previously only the TPC was used, but since the tournament was played in May (during the height of the North Texas
North Texas (also commonly called North Central Texas) is a term used primarily by residents of Dallas, Fort Worth, and surrounding areas to describe much of the north central portion of the U.S. state of Texas. Residents of the Dallas–Fort Wo ...
storm season), the weather played havoc with the tournament in some years, causing several delays and shortened tournaments. Therefore, the decision was made to add the Cottonwood Valley course in order to shorten the amount of time needed to complete the first two rounds. The first two rounds were played on both courses (each player played one round on each course); after the cut was determined, the TPC is used exclusively for the final two rounds. However, in 2008 the tournament reverted to using only the TPC course, which was significantly renovated.
Hewlett-Packard (HP) bought the previous title sponsor, Electronic Data Systems (EDS) in mid-2008. The agreement ran through 2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
, with AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the world's largest telecommunications company by revenue and the third largest provider of mobile te ...
becoming the title sponsor in 2015; the tournament moved to the new Trinity Forest Golf Club
Trinity Forest Golf Club is an 18-hole private golf club in the southern United States, located in Dallas, Texas.
Southeast of downtown Dallas, the club was founded in 2014 and the course opened for play in autumn 2016. Built on a former landfill, ...
, southeast of downtown Dallas
Downtown Dallas is the central business district (CBD) of Dallas, Texas, United States, located in the geographic center of the city. It is the second-largest business district in the state of Texas. The area termed "Downtown" has traditionally ...
, in 2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...
. Not played in 2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...
due to the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
, it moved north to TPC Craig Ranch
TPC Craig Ranch is a private golf club in the south central United States, located within the community of Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas, north-northeast of Dallas.
Designed by major champion Tom Weiskopf, the championship golf course is a memb ...
in McKinney
McKinney is a city in and the county seat of Collin County, Texas. It is Collin County's third-largest city, after Plano and Frisco. A suburb of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, McKinney is about north of Dallas.
The U.S. Census Bureau lis ...
in 2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...
.
Tournament highlights
* 1956: Peter Thomson Peter Thomson may refer to:
* Peter Thomson (golfer) (1929–2018), Australian golfer
* Peter Thomson (diplomat) (born 1948), Fiji's Permanent Representative to the United Nations
* Peter Thomson (footballer) (born 1977), English footballer
* Peter ...
, a five-time winner of The Open Championship
The Open Championship, often referred to as The Open or the British Open, is the oldest golf tournament in the world, and one of the most prestigious. Founded in 1860, it was originally held annually at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland. Later t ...
shoots a final round 63, then makes birdie on the first two holes of sudden death to defeat Gene Littler
Gene Alec Littler (July 21, 1930 – February 15, 2019) was an American professional golfer and a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame. Known for a solid temperament and nicknamed "Gene the Machine" for his smooth, rhythmical swing, he once said ...
and Cary Middlecoff
Emmett Cary Middlecoff (January 6, 1921 – September 1, 1998) was an American professional golfer on the PGA Tour from 1947 to 1961. His 39 Tour wins place him tied for tenth all-time, and he won three major championships. Middlecoff graduated a ...
. It was his one and only PGA Tour victory in the United States.
* 1976: Mark Hayes becomes the first wire to wire winner of the Nelson.
* 1981: Bruce Lietzke
Bruce Alan Lietzke (July 18, 1951 – July 28, 2018) was an American professional golfer who won 13 tournaments on the PGA Tour between 1977 and 1994, including two victories in the Canadian Open. His best finish in a major championship was ...
defeated Tom Watson in a playoff spoiling Watson's bid for a 4th straight Nelson triumph.
* 1985: Bob Eastwood
Robert Fred Eastwood (born February 9, 1946) is an American professional golfer who has won numerous amateur and professional tournaments.
Eastwood was born in Providence, Rhode Island, but spent most of his youth in north-central California. He ...
defeated Payne Stewart
William Payne Stewart (January 30, 1957 – October 25, 1999) was an American professional golfer who won eleven PGA Tour events, including three major championships, the last of which came just a few months before his death in an airplane acci ...
in a playoff after coming to the 72nd hole trailing Stewart by three shots. Eastwood made birdie on the final hole while Stewart made double bogey. Stewart made yet another double bogey on the first hole of sudden death to give Eastwood the title.
* 1994: Neal Lancaster
Grady Neal Lancaster (born September 13, 1962) is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour, Nationwide Tour and the PGA Tour Champions.
Lancaster was born, raised and makes his home in Smithfield, North Carolina. He turne ...
won the first ever six-player sudden death playoff in PGA Tour history. He made a birdie on the first playoff hole to defeat Tom Byrum
}
Thomas Elliott Byrum (born September 28, 1960) is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour Champions.
Byrum was born in Onida, South Dakota. He attended the University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University bef ...
, Mark Carnevale
Mark Kevin Carnevale (born May 21, 1960) is an American professional golfer and commentator for PGA Tour Radio.
Carnevale was born in Annapolis, Maryland, where his father, Ben, was the head basketball coach at the United States Naval Academy. ...
, David Edwards, Yoshi Mizumaki
is a Japanese professional golfer.
Mizumaki, graduate of Hosei University, played on the Japan Golf Tour, winning seven times. He also played on the PGA Tour in 1994 and 1995. His best finish was a tie for second (playoff loss to Neal Lanca ...
, and David Ogrin
David Ogrin (born December 31, 1957) is an American professional golfer.
Ogrin was born and grew up in Waukegan, Illinois. He graduated from Waukegan East High School in 1976, then attended Texas A&M University, graduating in 1980 with a degree ...
.
* 2005: Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods (born December 30, 1975) is an American professional golfer. He is tied for first in PGA Tour wins, ranks second in men's major championships, and holds numerous golf records.
*
*
* Woods is widely regarded as ...
' record streak of 142 cuts made came to an end at this tournament.
* 2006: After graduating from Q school, Brett Wetterich
Brett Milton Wetterich (born August 9, 1973) is an American professional golfer.
Wetterich was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. He attended Oak Hills High School and Wallace State Community College. He turned professional in 1994.
Wetterich was a PGA T ...
's win propels him to a surprise Ryder Cup appearance.
* 2008: Australian Adam Scott sank a 48-foot putt on the third playoff hole to clinch victory over American Ryan Moore.
* 2010: At age 16, Jordan Spieth
Jordan Alexander Spieth (born July 27, 1993) is an American professional golfer on the PGA Tour and former world number one in the Official World Golf Ranking. He is a three-time major winner and the 2015 FedEx Cup champion.
Spieth's first majo ...
(the defending U.S. Junior Amateur champion, and a student at nearby Jesuit College Preparatory School
Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas (commonly referred to as Jesuit Dallas or Dallas Jesuit, and formerly known as Jesuit High School) is a private, college-preparatory school for young men under the direction of the Society of Jesus a ...
) became the youngest player to play in the tournament, courtesy of a sponsor's exemption (the first one granted since 1995). Spieth would make the cut (becoming the sixth-youngest person in PGA Tour history to make a professional tour event cut) and finish 16th overall. (In 2011 Spieth would again be granted a sponsor's exemption and would again make the cut, finishing 32nd overall.)
* 2013: Keegan Bradley
Keegan Hansen Bradley (born June 7, 1986) is an American professional golfer who competes on the PGA Tour. He has won five tour events, most notably the 2011 PGA Championship. He is one of six golfers to win in his major debut, along with Ben Cu ...
hits a course-record 60 (−10) in the first round. Bradley leads the first three rounds, but Bae Sang-moon
Bae Sang-moon ( ko, 배상문; born 21 June 1986), or Sang-moon Bae, is a South Korean professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour.
Professional career
Bae turned professional in 2004. He won the 2006 Emerson Pacific Group Open on the Korean ...
earned the win.
* 2018: Aaron Wise sets the tournament record.
* 2019: Kang Sung-hoon won his first PGA Tour title in his 159th start. Scott Piercy
Scott Piercy (born November 6, 1978) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour.
Early life
Born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, Piercy played college golf at San Diego State and turned professional after graduation in 2001.
C ...
went bogey-free for the entire tournament, becoming the first to do so in a 72-hole PGA Tour event since Charles Howell III
Charles Gordon Howell III (born June 20, 1979) is an American professional golfer who currently plays on LIV Golf and formerly on the PGA Tour. He has been featured in the top 15 of the Official World Golf Ranking and ranked 9th on the PGA Tour m ...
at the 2010 Greenbrier Classic
The Greenbrier Classic was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour, held from 2010 to 2019 at The Old White at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. For its final two editions, the tournament was titled A Military Tribute at the Greenb ...
.
Winners
''Note: Green highlight indicates scoring records.''
Sources:[2012 HP Byron Nelson Championship Media Guide]
/ref>
Multiple winners
Six men have won this tournament more than once through 2022.
*4 wins
** Tom Watson: 1975, 1978, 1979, 1980
*3 wins
**Sam Snead
Samuel Jackson Snead (pronounced English_phonology">sni:d.html" ;"title="English_phonology.html" ;"title="nowiki/>English phonology">sni:d">English_phonology.html" ;"title="nowiki/>English phonology">sni:d May 27, 1912 – May 23, 2002) was an ...
: 1945, 1957, 1958
*2 wins
** Jack Nicklaus: 1970, 1971
**Bruce Lietzke
Bruce Alan Lietzke (July 18, 1951 – July 28, 2018) was an American professional golfer who won 13 tournaments on the PGA Tour between 1977 and 1994, including two victories in the Canadian Open. His best finish in a major championship was ...
: 1981, 1988
**Sergio García
Sergio García Fernández (; born 9 January 1980) is a Spanish professional golfer. He has played on the European Tour, PGA Tour and LIV Golf Invitational Series. García has won 36 international tournaments as a professional, most notably t ...
: 2004, 2016
**Lee Kyoung-hoon
Lee Kyoung-hoon (; born 24 August 1991), also known as K. H. Lee, is a South Korean professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He won the 2021 and 2022 AT&T Byron Nelson.
Professional career
Lee turned professional in 2010 and joined the ...
: 2021, 2022
See also
*Dallas Open (1926)
The Dallas Open Tournament was a professional golf event in Texas played only in 1926.
It was held in late January at Cedar Crest Park, Cedar Crest Country Club, south of central Dallas, and was won by Macdonald Smith at 298, three strokes ahead ...
Notes
References
External links
*
Coverage on the PGA Tour's official site
Media Guide
{{DEFAULTSORT:ATandT Byron Nelson
PGA Tour events
Golf in Texas
Sports in Irving, Texas
Sports in Dallas
Recurring sporting events established in 1944
1944 establishments in Texas