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PGA Tour: AT&T Byron Nelson Classic Needs to Remain on Tour Schedule

By Tim Letcher

5 Apr 2001: Byron Nelson of the USA at the 1st tee on the first day of the 2001 Masters at the Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, GA, USA.....DIGITAL IMAGE. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Munday/ALLSPORT
5 Apr 2001: Byron Nelson of the USA at the 1st tee on the first day of the 2001 Masters at the Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, GA, USA.....DIGITAL IMAGE. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Munday/ALLSPORT /
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The PGA Tour needs to make sure that the AT&T Byron Nelson Classic remains on the schedule, simply as a tribute to its namesake.

The coronavirus has claimed a chunk of the PGA Tour schedule, including the AT&T Byron Nelson, which was originally scheduled for this week. While circumstances will prevent the Nelson from being played this week, it’s certainly a shame that a spot that was a favorite for some players, especially when Nelson was still alive, will not be played this season.

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For those who are old enough to remember, Nelson, who died in 2006, was always seen on the 18th hole at his event, where he would greet players as they finished their rounds. It was one of the endearing traditions of this event, which has been held outside of Dallas since 1944 and that took Nelson’s name in 1968.

Nelson, of course, was a Hall of Fame golfer best known for winning 11 straight events on the PGA Tour in 1945, a season when he would win 18 times on tour. He retired at age 34 to become a rancher in his native Texas, but his records still stand to this day.

Whether it was Nelson himself inviting players, or some who just wanted to honor the legend, the Byron Nelson Classic always drew its fair share of the world’s best players. Past champions of the event, in addition to Nelson himself, are Jack Nicklaus, Sam Snead, Tom Watson and Tiger Woods.

Hopefully, the tour can make a return to Dallas next year for the event, which was canceled this year for the first time since 1965. And when it does, hopefully the prominent players will return.

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Nelson’s name is one that today’s young players should get to know, if they are not aware of who he was. One way to keep Nelson’s memory alive, and to honor him in the process, is by holding the Byron Nelson Classic, which the tour intends to do in 2021.

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