The Byron Nelson is a golf tournament in Texas on the PGA Tour, currently hosted by TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, northeast of Dallas. 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 and Savannah have since hosted two events on two separate courses, both of which were pandemic-related changes). The tournament is the leading fundraiser for charity on the PGA Tour and has raised more than $143 million.[2] 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. As host, Byron Nelson (1912–2006) 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.[3][citation needed]

Quick Facts Tournament information, Location ...
The Byron Nelson
Tournament information
LocationMcKinney, Texas
Established1944[1]
Course(s)TPC Craig Ranch
Par72
Length7,468 yards (6,829 m)
Organized bySalesmanship Club of Dallas
Tour(s)PGA Tour
FormatStroke play
Prize fundUS$9,500,000
Month playedMay
Tournament record score
Aggregate261 Rory Sabbatini (2009)
261 Aaron Wise (2018)
261 Kang Sung-hoon (2019)
261 Jason Day (2023)
To par−26 Lee Kyoung-hoon (2022)
Current champion
Canada Taylor Pendrith
Location map
Thumb
TPC Craig Ranch
TPC Craig Ranch
Location in the United States
Thumb
TPC Craig Ranch
TPC Craig Ranch
Location in Texas
Close

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,[4] when it was played at Lakewood Country Club. The following year it was played at Dallas Country Club, 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 event was renamed the Byron Nelson Golf Classic[5][6] 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,[6] 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, 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 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.[7] The agreement ran through 2014, with AT&T becoming the title sponsor in 2015.[8] The tournament moved from the Four Seasons course in Irving to the new Trinity Forest Golf Club, southeast of downtown Dallas, in 2018.[9] Not played in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it moved north to TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney in 2021. In 2024, CJ Group replaced AT&T as title sponsor under a ten-year agreement, rebranding it as the CJ Cup Byron Nelson (reusing a title previously used for a former early-season event hosted in South Korea).[10][11]

Tournament highlights

  • 1956: Peter Thomson, a five-time winner of The Open Championship shoots a final round 63, then makes birdie on the first two holes of sudden death to defeat Gene Littler and Cary Middlecoff. It was his one and only PGA Tour victory in the United States.[12]
  • 1976: Mark Hayes becomes the first wire to wire winner of the Nelson.[13]
  • 1981: Bruce Lietzke defeated Tom Watson in a playoff spoiling Watson's bid for a 4th straight Nelson triumph.[14]
  • 1985: Bob Eastwood defeated Payne Stewart 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.[15]
  • 1994: Neal Lancaster 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, Mark Carnevale, David Edwards, Yoshi Mizumaki, and David Ogrin.[16]
  • 2005: Tiger Woods' record streak of 142 cuts made came to an end at this tournament.
  • 2006: After graduating from Q school, Brett Wetterich'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 (the defending U.S. Junior Amateur champion, and a student at nearby Jesuit College Preparatory School) 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 hits a course-record 60 (−10) in the first round. Bradley leads the first three rounds, but Bae Sang-moon earned the win.[17]
  • 2018: Aaron Wise sets the tournament record.
  • 2019: Kang Sung-hoon won his first PGA Tour title in his 159th start. Scott Piercy went bogey-free for the entire tournament, becoming the first to do so in a 72-hole PGA Tour event since Charles Howell III at the 2010 Greenbrier Classic.

Winners

More information Year, Winner ...
YearWinnerScoreTo parMargin of
victory
Runner(s)-upPurse
(US$)
Winner's
share ($)
Ref.
CJ Cup Byron Nelson
2024Canada Taylor Pendrith261−231 strokeUnited States Ben Kohles9,500,0001,710,000
AT&T Byron Nelson
2023Australia Jason Day (2)261−231 strokeUnited States Austin Eckroat
South Korea Kim Si-woo
9,500,0001,710,000
2022South Korea Lee Kyoung-hoon (2)262−261 strokeUnited States Jordan Spieth9,100,0001,638,000
2021South Korea Lee Kyoung-hoon263−253 strokesUnited States Sam Burns8,100,0001,458,000
2020Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic[18]
2019South Korea Kang Sung-hoon261−232 strokesUnited States Matt Every
United States Scott Piercy
7,900,0001,422,000
2018United States Aaron Wise261−233 strokesAustralia Marc Leishman7,700,0001,386,000
2017United States Billy Horschel268−12PlayoffAustralia Jason Day7,500,0001,350,000
2016Spain Sergio García (2)265−15PlayoffUnited States Brooks Koepka7,300,0001,314,000
2015Australia Steven Bowditch259[a]−184 strokesUnited States Charley Hoffman
United States Scott Pinckney
United States Jimmy Walker
7,100,0001,278,000
HP Byron Nelson Championship
2014United States Brendon Todd266−142 strokesCanada Mike Weir6,900,0001,242,000
2013South Korea Bae Sang-moon267−132 strokesUnited States Keegan Bradley6,700,0001,206,000
2012United States Jason Dufner269−111 strokeUnited States Dicky Pride6,500,0001,170,000
2011United States Keegan Bradley277−3PlayoffUnited States Ryan Palmer6,500,0001,170,000
2010Australia Jason Day270−102 strokesUnited States Blake Adams
United States Brian Gay
United States Jeff Overton
6,500,0001,170,000
2009South Africa Rory Sabbatini261−192 strokesEngland Brian Davis6,500,0001,170,000
EDS Byron Nelson Championship
2008Australia Adam Scott273−7PlayoffUnited States Ryan Moore6,400,0001,152,000
2007United States Scott Verplank267−131 strokeEngland Luke Donald6,300,0001,134,000
2006United States Brett Wetterich268−121 strokeSouth Africa Trevor Immelman6,200,0001,116,000
2005United States Ted Purdy265−151 strokeUnited States Sean O'Hair6,200,0001,116,000
2004Spain Sergio García270−10PlayoffUnited States Robert Damron
United States Dudley Hart
5,800,0001,044,000
2003Fiji Vijay Singh265−152 strokesZimbabwe Nick Price5,600,0001,008,000
Verizon Byron Nelson Classic
2002Japan Shigeki Maruyama266−142 strokesUnited States Ben Crane4,800,000864,000
2001United States Robert Damron263−17PlayoffUnited States Scott Verplank4,500,000810,000
GTE Byron Nelson Classic
2000Sweden Jesper Parnevik269−11PlayoffUnited States Davis Love III
United States Phil Mickelson
4,000,000720,000
1999United States Loren Roberts262−18PlayoffUnited States Steve Pate3,000,000540,000
GTE Byron Nelson Golf Classic
1998United States John Cook265−153 strokesUnited States Fred Couples
United States Harrison Frazar
United States Hal Sutton
2,500,000450,000
1997United States Tiger Woods263−172 strokesUnited States Lee Rinker1,800,000324,000
1996United States Phil Mickelson265−152 strokesAustralia Craig Parry1,500,000270,000
1995South Africa Ernie Els263−173 strokesUnited States Robin Freeman
United States Mike Heinen
United States D. A. Weibring
1,300,000234,000
1994United States Neal Lancaster132[b]−9PlayoffUnited States Tom Byrum
United States Mark Carnevale
United States David Edwards
Japan Yoshi Mizumaki
United States David Ogrin
1,200,000216,000
1993United States Scott Simpson270−101 strokeUnited States Billy Mayfair
United States Corey Pavin
United States D. A. Weibring
1,200,000216,000
1992United States Billy Ray Brown199[c]−11PlayoffUnited States Ben Crenshaw
United States Raymond Floyd
United States Bruce Lietzke
1,100,000198,000
1991Zimbabwe Nick Price270−101 strokeUnited States Craig Stadler1,100,000198,000
1990United States Payne Stewart202[c]−82 strokesUnited States Lanny Wadkins1,000,000180,000
1989United States Jodie Mudd265−15PlayoffUnited States Larry Nelson1,000,000180,000
1988United States Bruce Lietzke (2)271−9PlayoffUnited States Clarence Rose750,000135,000
Byron Nelson Golf Classic
1987United States Fred Couples266−14PlayoffUnited States Mark Calcavecchia600,000108,000
1986United States Andy Bean269−111 strokeUnited States Mark Wiebe600,000108,000
1985United States Bob Eastwood272−8PlayoffUnited States Payne Stewart500,00090,000
1984United States Craig Stadler276−81 strokeUnited States David Edwards500,00090,000
1983United States Ben Crenshaw273−71 strokeUnited States Brad Bryant
United States Hal Sutton
400,00072,000
1982United States Bob Gilder266−145 strokesUnited States Curtis Strange350,00063,000
1981United States Bruce Lietzke281+1PlayoffUnited States Tom Watson300,00054,000
1980United States Tom Watson (4)274−61 strokeUnited States Bill Rogers300,00054,000
1979United States Tom Watson (3)275−5PlayoffUnited States Bill Rogers300,00054,000
1978United States Tom Watson (2)272−81 strokeUnited States Lee Trevino200,00040,000
1977United States Raymond Floyd276−82 strokesUnited States Ben Crenshaw200,00040,000
1976United States Mark Hayes273−112 strokesUnited States Don Bies200,00040,000
1975United States Tom Watson269−152 strokesUnited States Bob E. Smith175,00035,000
1974United States Buddy Allin269−154 strokesUnited States Homero Blancas
United States Charles Coody
United States Lee Trevino
United States Tom Watson
150,00030,000
1973United States Lanny Wadkins277−3PlayoffUnited States Dan Sikes150,00030,000
1972United States Chi-Chi Rodríguez273−7PlayoffUnited States Billy Casper125,00025,000
1971United States Jack Nicklaus (2)274−62 strokesUnited States Frank Beard
United States Jerry McGee
125,00025,000
1970United States Jack Nicklaus274−6PlayoffUnited States Arnold Palmer100,00020,000
1969Australia Bruce Devlin277−31 strokeUnited States Frank Beard
Australia Bruce Crampton
100,00020,000
1968United States Miller Barber270−101 strokeUnited States Kermit Zarley100,00020,000
Dallas Open Invitational
1967United States Bert Yancey274−101 strokeArgentina Roberto De Vicenzo
United States Kermit Zarley
100,00020,000
1966Argentina Roberto De Vicenzo276−81 strokeUnited States Joe Campbell
United States Raymond Floyd
South Africa Harold Henning
85,00015,000
1965: No tournament
1964United States Charles Coody271−131 strokeUnited States Jerry Edwards40,0005,800
1963: No tournament
1962United States Billy Maxwell277−34 strokesUnited States Johnny Pott35,0005,300
1961United States Earl Stewart278−61 strokeUnited States Gay Brewer
United States Arnold Palmer
United States Doug Sanders
30,0004,300
1960United States Johnny Pott275−5PlayoffUnited States Ted Kroll
United States Bo Wininger
25,0003,500
1959United States Julius Boros274−101 strokeUnited States Dow Finsterwald
United States Earl Stewart
United States Bo Wininger
25,0003,500
1958United States Sam Snead (3)272−8PlayoffUnited States Julius Boros
United States John McMullin
South Africa Gary Player
25,0003,500
1957United States Sam Snead (2)264−2010 strokesUnited States Bob Inman
United States Billy Maxwell
United States Cary Middlecoff
40,0008,000[19]
Texas International Open
1956
(Jun)
Australia Peter Thomson267−13PlayoffUnited States Gene Littler
United States Cary Middlecoff
70,00013,478[20]
Dallas Centennial Open
1956
(May)
United States Don January268−121 strokeUnited States Dow Finsterwald
United States Doug Ford
30,0006,000[21]
1947-1955: No tournament
Dallas Invitational
1946United States Ben Hogan284+42 strokesUnited States Herman Keiser
United States Paul Runyan
10,0002,000[22]
Dallas Open
1945United States Sam Snead276−124 strokesUnited States Jug McSpaden10,0002,000[23]
Texas Victory Open
1944United States Byron Nelson276−810 strokesUnited States Jug McSpaden10,0002,000[24]
Close

Note: Green highlight indicates scoring records.
Sources:[4][25][26][27]

Multiple winners

Seven players have won this tournament more than once through 2023.

See also

Notes

  1. The par for the final three rounds was lowered to 69 due to course flooding; the 14th hole was converted to a par 3. Aggregate score not considered as an official record.
  2. Shortened to 36 holes due to weather.
  3. Shortened to 54 holes due to weather.

References

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