Byron Nelson greets Tiger Woods on the first tee during the first round of the 2004 Byron Nelson Championship. Nelson greeted players as they teed off, then as they came off the course at the end of the final round.
The PGA Tour Byron Nelson Championship started out as the Dallas Open, and Byron Nelson himself won the first one in 1944. The tournament was known as the Byron Nelson Classic for much of its history. Nelson hosted the event from his seat off the 18th green, greeting each year's winner as the champion walked off the green, right up until the year of his death in 2006.2008 Tournament
Adam Scott birdied the final hole of regulation to tie Ryan Moore at 7-under 273 and force a playoff. Then, on the third playoff hole, Scott rolled in a 48-foot putt. Moore's putt to tie skirted the edge of the hole, and Scott was the winner.
2007 Recap
Scott Verplank shot 66 on Sunday to finish at 13-under 267, one stroke ahead of Luke Donald.
Overall record: 262 - Loren Roberts, Steve Pate, 1999
Tournament course record: TPC Las Colinas course - 61, Billy Mayfair, 1993; Charlie Rymer, 1996; Justin Leonard, 2001. Cottonwood Valley course - 60, Arron Oberholser, 2006
PGA Tour EDS Byron Nelson Championship Golf Courses:
The Byron Nelson Championship is currently hosted by the TPC Four Seasons Resort Las Colinas in the tony Las Colinas section of Irving, near the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. The resort's two courses, TPC Las Colinas and Cottonwood Valley Country Club, share the first two rounds, with TPC Las Colinas the site for the final two rounds.
Other Host Courses
(courses in Dallas unless noted)
Lakewood Country Club
Dallas Country Club
Brook Hollow Country Club
Preston Hollow Country Club
Glen Lakes Country Club
Oak Cliff Country Club
Preston Trail Golf Club
Las Colinas Sports Club (Irving)
PGA Tour EDS Byron Nelson Championship Trivia and Notes:
The first winner of the Byron Nelson Championship was ... Byron Nelson. The tournament was called the Dallas Open when Nelson won its first playing in 1944.
The first three winners of this event were Nelson, Sam Snead and Ben Hogan.
Snead won for the second and third times, back-to-back, in 1957-58. For the third win, Snead was 46 years, 12 days old, the record for oldest champion at this event.
The tournament became known as the Byron Nelson Golf Classic in 1968. Nelson was the first PGA Tour player to have a tournament named for him.
Jack Nicklaus won the Nelson back-to-back in 1970-71. In 1970, he defeated Arnold Palmer in a playoff for the championship.
Snead and Nicklaus are the only back-to-back winners, but Tom Watson is the only back-to-back-to-back winner. Watson won three straight in 1978-80. Watson, a protege of Byron Nelson, also won in 1975 for a tournament record four wins total.
There have been in inordinate number of playoffs at the PGA Tour EDS Byron Nelson Championship. Since 1970, there have been 15 playoffs.
Tiger Woods' record streak of 142 consecutive cuts made ended at the 2005 Byron Nelson Championship.
PGA Tour EDS Byron Nelson Championship - Past Winners: