The HP Byron Nelson Championship is a golf tournament on the PGA Tour. The tournament is held in late April / early May at the Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas in Irving, Texas, USA. It is one of two PGA tournaments held in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex – the only metropolitan area to host two PGA tournaments – and before the FedEx Cup schedule reforms, was held the week prior to the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial (previously the Bank of America Colonial). The tournament is the leading fundraiser for charity on the PGA Tour and is expected to hit the $100 million mark during its 2007 event. For much of its history, it was the only PGA Tour stop named after a professional golfer; it remains one of only two such events, along with the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Nelson commonly made an appearance during the tournament. For the tournament's first several decades, it was played at a variety of courses in Dallas. Byron Nelson was the tournament's first winner in 1944, 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 1958-67. In 1968 the event was renamed the Byron Nelson Golf Classic and its name, through a series of sponsors, has always subsequently been in conjunction with Nelson's name. That same year the event moved to Preston Trail Golf Club, where it was played from 1968-82. In 1983 the event moved to venues in Irving, first at Las Colinas Sports Club from 1983-85, and then at the TPC at Las Colinas from 1986-93. Since 1994 the tournament has been 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 is 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 course in order to shorten the amount of time needed to complete the first two rounds. The first two rounds are played on both courses (each player plays one round on each course); after the cut is determined, the TPC is used exclusively for the final two rounds. However, in 2008 the tournament will revert to using only the TPC course, which is being significantly renovated. In 2005 Tiger Woods' record streak of 142 cuts made came to an end at this tournament. In 2008, Australian Adam Scott sank a 48 foot putt on the third playoff hole to clinch victory over American Ryan Moore. Hewlett-Packard (HP) bought the previous title sponsor, Electronic Data Systems (EDS) in mid-2008
Past Winners HP Byron Nelson Championship 2009 Rory Sabbatini EDS Byron Nelson Championship 2008 Adam Scott 2007 Scott Verplank 2006 Brett Wetterich 2005 Ted Purdy 2004 Sergio García 2003 Vijay Singh Verizon Byron Nelson Classic 2002 Shigeki Maruyama 2001 Robert Damron GTE Byron Nelson Classic 2000 Jesper Parnevik 1999 Loren Roberts GTE Byron Nelson Golf Classic 1998 John Cook 1997 Tiger Woods 1996 Phil Mickelson 1995 Ernie Els 1994 Neal Lancaster 1993 Scott Simpson 1992 Billy Ray Brown 1991 Nick Price 1990 Payne Stewart 1989 Jodie Mudd 1988 Bruce Lietzke Byron Nelson Golf Classic 1987 Fred Couples 1986 Andy Bean 1985 Bob Eastwood 1984 Craig Stadler 1983 Ben Crenshaw 1982 Bob Gilder 1981 Bruce Lietzke 1980 Tom Watson 1979 Tom Watson 1978 Tom Watson 1977 Raymond Floyd 1976 Mark Hayes 1975 Tom Watson 1974 Buddy Allin 1973 Lanny Wadkins 1972 Chi Chi Rodriguez 1971 Jack Nicklaus 1970 Jack Nicklaus 1969 Bruce Devlin 1968 Miller Barber Dallas Open Invitational 1967 Bert Yancey 1966 Roberto De Vicenzo 1965 No tournament 1964 Charles Coody 1963 No tournament 1962 Billy Maxwell 1961 Earl Stewart 1960 Johnny Pott 1959 Julius Boros 1958 Sam Snead 1957 Sam Snead Texas International Open 1956 Peter Thomson (June, two events in same year) Dallas Centennial Open 1956 Don January (May, two events in same year) 1947-55 No tournament Dallas Invitational 1946 Ben Hogan Dallas Open 1945 Sam Snead Texas Victory Open 1944 Byron Nelson Dallas Open 1927-43 No tournament 1926 Macdonald Smith
Tony Romo had to go low to make the HP Byron Nelson Championship field Had Tony Romo been able to take part in the open qualifier for the HP Byron Nelson Championship at Stonebridge Ranch's Hills Course on Monday - or take Wade Phillips up on the offer to skip the first OTA of the off-season - the Cowboys' quarterback would have had to have shot a 64 to make Thursday's field. A 65 would have put him in a playoff for the final two spots. Romo shot a 72 in the pre-qualifier and had three three putts and some missed shorter putts that could have made that 72 a 68 or 67.
Aussies dominate top of Nelson leaderboard Australian Jason Day was so sick early Thursday that he almost withdrew from the HP Byron Nelson Championship. Instead, he got rest, drank plenty of liquids and took 66 shots. He was under the weather and 4 under par at the TPC Four Seasons at Las Colinas. Day was long gone before the day actually ended. Play was delayed for 3 hours, 43 minutes because of lighting and rain. Play was suspended at 8:29 p.m. because of darkness and will resume at 7:15 a.m. today with second-round tee times pushed back one hour. Beware the ailing golfer. And players from Down Under. http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/golf/stories/052110dnsponichols.e12c828.html
Beckman, Adams share Nelson lead While Dallas' Jordan Spieth stole the headlines Friday afternoon at the HP Byron Nelson Championship, Cameron Beckman grabbed a share of the course record at TPC Four Seasons Resort & Club, shooting a 9-under 61.
Spieth sharpens game, polishes star Brandon Walsh, a red-haired 14-year-old from Keller, sat just outside the ropes on No. 16 at the HP Byron Nelson Championship, sweating but smiling as Jordan Spieth walked up the fairway. Asked who is favorite golfer was, Walsh didn't hesitate. "It's Spieth," he said. "I was watching my brother play in a junior tournament and he wasn't playing well, so I went and found Jordan. He was really nice and is such a good golfer. He can play." http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/columns/story?columnist=durrett_richard&id=5211352
