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Tournament Victories—61, including 54 PGA-sanctioned events and the French Open in 1955.
The Masters—1937, 1942
U.S. Open—1939
PGA Championship—1940, 1945
Member of the Ryder Cup Team in 1937 and 1947. Selected for team in 1939 and 1941. Also served as captain of victorious Ryder Cup team in 1965.
Mr. Nelson's records:
Most tournament wins in a row—11
in 1945: Miami Four-Ball, Charlotte Open, Greensboro Open, Durham Open, Atlanta Iron Lung Tournament, PGA Canadian Open, Philadelphia Inquirer Invitational, Chicago Victory Open, PGA Championship, Tam O'Shanter Open, Canadian National Open.
Most tournament wins in one year—18, in 1945
Lowest scoring average—68.33, in 1945
Most consecutive rounds
under 70—19, in 1945
Most consecutive times finishing in the money—113
Mr. Nelson was named Athlete of the Year in 1944 and 1945 by the Associated Press; we won nine tournaments in 1944 and six in 1946, just prior to his retirement from tournament play; and in 1945, in addition to winning 18 PGA-sanctioned events, he also finished second in seven others. He was also the first pro to play 100 rounds in the Masters.
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Few of us will ever have our life’s work rewarded the way Byron Nelson’s was with the Congressional Gold Medal his wife Peggy was awarded in June of 2007 less than one year after Mr. Nelsons passing. Player, Teacher, Humanitarian, all true!
1945 was the greatest year in golf. Thanks of course, to the greatest man in golf, Byron Nelson.
He changed the way golfers play. He set a record that will never be broken. 11 straight tournament victories and 18 wins that year, there’s no one else like Byron Nelson. Whether it was inventing a better swing or mentoring young players, setting a world record or being part of a world-class tournament, Byron Nelson has always done more than play the game. He’s changed it and set an example of citizenship for others to follow.
John Byron Nelson, Jr., (2/4/1912-9/26/06). Born near Waxahachie, Texas, Byron Nelson was born into a devout Christian faith and represented this faith all throughout his life. When Mr. Nelson was eleven years old, the family moved to Fort Worth, Texas where he barely survived typhoid fever after losing nearly half his body weight to the disease.
Soon after his baptism at age twelve, Byron Nelson started caddying at Glen Garden Country Club. The club at the time didn't allow caddies to play on the course so Byron Nelson would often practice in the dark, putting his white handkerchief over the hole so he could find it in the dark. Later young Byron Nelson, at age 14, beat fellow caddy and future golfing great Ben Hogan by a single stroke after a nine-hole playoff for the caddie championship.
Mr. Nelson won 54 career victories, including two Masters (1937 and 1942), two PGA Championships (1940 and 1945), and the U.S. Open (1939). In 1945 alone, he won 18 tournaments including eleven in a row. He is one of the only two golfers to be named “Male Athlete of the Year” twice by the associated press, and the World Golf Hall of Fame honored Byron Nelson in 2004 by featuring an exhibit “Byron Nelson: A Champion…A Gentleman.” This June Mr. Nelson was recognized posthumously with the Congressional Gold Medal, the 132nd ever awarded. |
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