Chad D. Thomas: AT&T Byron Nelson Preview 2017

2017 AT&T Byron Nelson Media Notes

Dates: May 15-21, 2017
Where: TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas; Irving, Texas
Par/Yards: 35-35—70/7,166
Format: 72-hole stroke play; Field: 156
FedExCup: 500 points to winner; Purse: $7.5 million ($1,350,000 to the winner)
Defending Champion: Sergio Garcia
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Celebrating 35 years in Irving

Will mark the 35th and final year for the event in Irving, Texas, hosted at the TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas.
In 2018, the tournament will move to Trinity Forest Golf Club (a links-style course designed by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore), located just 10 minutes south of downtown Dallas.
“Celebrating our 35-year partnership with the Irving community and the Four Seasons is the big theme of this year’s tournament,” said Tim Costello, 2017 AT&T Byron Nelson Tournament Chair. “The best part of our longtime partnership is the impact it’s had on our community, helping raise more than $150 million for Momentous Institute, impacting over 100,000 lives.”

A look back at the 2016 AT&T Byron Nelson

Sergio Garcia shot a final-round 68 for a 15-under 265 total and waited to see if Brooks Koepka, in the final group, would birdie the final hole for victory.
Koepka’s two-putt par from 16-feet sent the pair to the 20th playoff in tournament history where Garcia claimed the AT&T Byron Nelson for the second time (2004) with a par to Koepka’s double-bogey at the first extra hole.
The two-time AT&T Byron Nelson champion recently broke through for his first major championship victory, winning the Masters Tournament in a playoff over Justin Rose.
It marked his 10th PGA TOUR victory, breaking out of a tie with Seve Ballesteros for the most TOUR wins by a player from Spain.
Here’s a look at Garcia’s 10 PGA TOUR wins:
- 2001 DEAN & DELUCA Invitational, Buick Classic
- 2002 SBS Tournament of Champions
- 2004 AT&T Byron Nelson, Buick Classic
- 2005 Booz Allen Classic
- 2008 THE PLAYERS Championship
- 2012 Wyndham Championship
- 2016 AT&T Byron Nelson
- 2017 Masters Tournament.

Current FedExCup leader Dustin Johnson and close calls at the AT&T Byron Nelson

Has held the FedExCup lead for eight consecutive weeks.
Currently ranked No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Owns four top 10s and six top 25s in seven AT&T Byron Nelson starts (T63/2008, T4/2009, T7/2010, T20/2011, T7-2014, T8-2015, T12-2016).
With three wins this season (Genesis Open, WGC-Mexico Championship, WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play), has won for the 10th consecutive season on TOUR (the current-best streak).

2015 FedExCup champion and local favorite Jordan Spieth

Dallas native and 2015 FedExCup champion returns to the event where he made his PGA TOUR debut at the age of 16 in 2010, finishing T16. The 22-year-old will be playing the AT&
Byron Nelson for the seventh time (T16-2010, T32-2011, T68-2013, T37-2014, T30-2015, T18-2016). Here’s a look at a few of his career highlights:
Youngest winner of the FedExCup and of the TOUR Championship (22 years, 2 months).
Owns nine PGA TOUR wins: 2013 John Deere Classic, 2015 Valspar Championship, 2015 Masters Tournament, 2015 U.S. Open, 2015 John Deere Classic, 2015 TOUR Championship, 2016 Hyundai Tournament of Champions, 2016 DEAN & DELUCA Invitational, 2017 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
Most wins on TOUR by a player 22 and younger: Horton Smith (14), Jordan Spieth (8), Tiger Woods (7).
With his win at the 2013 John Deere Classic, became youngest PGA TOUR winner since 1931, winning less than two weeks before his 20th birthday.
In 2013, earned a Captain’s Pick for the U.S. Presidents Cup Team and was voted Rookie of the Year.

FedExCup and the AT&T Byron Nelson

Field includes 2015 FedExCup champion Jordan Spieth.
Eight of top 20 in the FedExCup: Dustin Johnson (#1), Jordan Spieth (#7), Russell Henley (#12), Sergio Garcia (#13), Brooks Koepka (#14), Marc Leishman (#15), Gary Woodland (#19) and Hudson Swafford (#20).
Six of the 10 winners of the AT&T Byron Nelson in the FedExCup era since 2007 have qualified for the season-ending TOUR Championship.

A glance at the field

Nine of the top 20 in the Official World Golf Ranking, including four of the top six: Dustin Johnson (#1), Jason Day (#4), Sergio Garcia (#5), Jordan Spieth (#6).
Nine TOUR winners this season: Cody Gribble (Sanderson Farms Championship), Rod Pampling (Shriners Hospitals for Children Open), Hudson Swafford (CareerBuilder Challenge), Jordan Spieth (AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am), Dustin Johnson (Genesis Open, WGC-Mexico Championship, WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play), Marc Leishman (Arnold Palmer Invitational), D.A. Points (Puerto Rico Open), Russell Henley (Shell Houston Open), Sergio Garcia (Masters Tournament).
Eight AT&T Byron Nelson winners: Sergio Garcia (2016, 2004), Steven Bowditch (2015), Brendon Todd (2014), Jason Dufner (2012), Keegan Bradley (2011), Jason Day (2010), Rory Sabbatini (2009) and Ernie Els (1995).

Additional Player Notes

Jason Day will make his fifth appearance at the AT&T Byron Nelson and first since finishing T27 in 2013. He won the event in his inaugural appearance in 2010, followed by a fifth-place effort in 2011 and T9 in 2012.
• Last year’s 54-hole leader and subsequent runner-up finisher Brooks Koepka has improved in each of his three starts at the AT&T Byron Nelson (MC-2014, T16-2015, P2-2016).
• Ernie Els won in his inaugural start at the event in 1995, representing one of five top-15 finishes (1-1995, T4-2002, T7-2004, T10-2005, T13-2006).
Keegan Bradley returns for his seventh AT&T Byron Nelson start, highlighted by a win in 2011 and runner-up finish in 2013 (which included an opening-round 60). Other finishes: T24-2012, T29-2014, T22-2015, MC-2016.
Matt Kuchar has yet to miss a cut in nine starts at the AT&T Byron Nelson (T39-2007, T42-2008, T39-2009, T6-2011, T15-2012, T33-2013, T7-2014, T39-2015, 3-2016).
Dallas resident Ryan Palmer is scheduled to make his 14th consecutive start at the AT&T Byron Nelson, dating to 2004. He missed the cut in six of his first seven starts (T73-2006) and has since finished runner-up (2011), T9 (2012), T33 (2013), T22 (2014), T10 (2015) and MC (2016).
Bryson DeChambeau competed for nearby Southern Methodist University in 2015, becoming just the fifth golfer in history to win both the U.S. Amateur Championship and NCAA Division I golf championship in the same season. He missed the cut in his inaugural start last year at the AT&T Byron Nelson.
Former University of Texas All-American Beau Hossler will play as a sponsor exemption. Hossler has played in five PGA TOUR events this season, with a T39 at the Shell Houston Open being his best finish. He finished T29 at the 2012 U.S. Open as a high-school amateur.

Miscellaneous AT&T Byron Nelson Notes

16 of the last 22 winners recorded all four rounds in the 60s. The exceptions: Keegan Bradley-2011, Jason Day-2010, Adam Scott-2008, Brett Wetterich-2006, Sergio Garcia-2004, Jesper Parnevik-2000.
There have been 11 players that have claimed their first TOUR win at the AT&T Byron Nelson, including four of the last seven champions: Johnny Pott (1960), Charles Coody (1964), Mark Hayes (1976), Neal Lancaster (1994), Robert Damron (2001), Ted Purdy (2005), Brett Wetterich (2006), Jason Day (2010), Keegan Bradley (2011), Sangmoon Bae (2013), Brendon Todd (2014).
The current course record of 60 was set by Keegan Bradley in 2013. Other 60s have been posted by Arron Oberholser (Cottonwood Valley in 2006) and Sam Snead (1957).
The tournament scoring record of 259 was set in 2015 by Steven Bowditch (when inclement weather forced the par-70 layout to play as a par-69 during the final three rounds), topping the 261 by Rory Sabbatini in 2009.
Only two players have won the event in wire-to-wire fashion (no ties) – Mark Hayes/1976 and Tom Watson/1980. (Note: Complete first-round scores are not available for the inaugural event in 1944, won by Byron Nelson). Steven Bowditch, in 2015, is the most recent champion to hold at least a share of the lead each round.
Dating to 2000, there have been 10 international winners, with Sergio Garcia performing the feat twice (2000-Jesper Parnevik, 2002-Shigeki Maruyama, 2003-Vijay Singh, 2004-Sergio Garcia, 2008-Adam Scott, 2009-Rory Sabbatini, 2010-Jason Day, 2013-Sangmoon Bae, 2015-Steven Bowditch, 2016-Garcia).
Eight players (nine wins) carried the opening-day lead on to victory: Sergio Garcia (2016), Steven Bowditch (2015), Jason Day (2010), Scott Simpson (1993), Tom Watson (1979, 1980), Mark Hayes (1976), Chi Chi Rodriguez (1972), Earl Stewart (1961).
The 54-hole leader/co-leader has won four times in the last nine years at the AT&T Byron Nelson (Adam Scott/2008, Jason Dufner/2012, Brendon Todd/2014, Steven Bowditch/2015).

“DFW Double”

Ben Hogan, in 1946, is the only player to win the AT&T Byron Nelson and DEAN & DELUCA Invitational in the same year. No player has performed the feat in back-to-back weeks.
Fifteen players have won the “DFW Double” during their careers: Ben Crenshaw, Roberto De Vicenzo, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Bruce Devlin, Jack Nicklaus, Lanny Wadkins, Tom Watson, Bruce Lietzke, Nick Price, Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Rory Sabbatini, Julius Boros and Adam Scott.

Third Event of Four-Leg Texas Swing

The AT&T Byron Nelson is the third of four legs of the traditional Texas Swing (not counting the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play) on the PGA TOUR, with Russell Henley winning the Shell Houston Open and Kevin Chappell winning the Valero Texas Open
Adam Scott is the only player to win the Texas Grand Slam (2007 Shell Houston Open, 2008 AT&T Byron Nelson, 2009 Valero Texas Open, 2014 DEAN & DELUCA Invitational). A number of other players, many of them Hall of Famers, have won three titles. Here are the players who have won three of the four events along with the missing link:

Player: Missing Tournament Victory
Bruce Crampton AT&T Byron Nelson
Ben Crenshaw Shell Houston Open
Roberto De Vicenzo Valero Texas Open
Bruce Devlin Valero Texas Open
Ben Hogan Shell Houston Open
Gene Littler AT&T Byron Nelson
Phil Mickelson Valero Texas Open
Byron Nelson DEAN & DELUCA Invitational
Corey Pavin AT&T Byron Nelson
Arnold Palmer AT&T Byron Nelson
Nick Price Shell Houston Open
Sam Snead Shell Houston Open
Mike Souchak AT&T Byron Nelson

Remembering Byron Nelson

The AT&T Byron Nelson celebrates the life and legacy of Byron Nelson. Above and beyond his accomplishments on the golf course, Nelson (who passed away in 2006) is universally regarded as one of the game’s most respected and revered individuals.
Nelson reached the pinnacle of his golfing career in 1945, winning 18 tournaments, including a record 11-tournament winning streak that will likely stand the test of time.
Throughout his relatively brief career, he won 54 times, including the 1939 U.S. Open, 1937 and 1942 Masters Tournaments, and the 1940 and 1945 PGA Championships.
The tournament has had several ways of honoring Nelson throughout the years: o The Byron Nelson Prize was awarded from 2007-2012 to a person in the golf world who exemplified the ideals of sportsmanship, integrity and philanthropy. Winners included Tom Lehman (2007), Ken Venturi (2008), Arnold Palmer (2009), Tom Watson (2010), Deane Beman (2011), Nancy Lopez (2012).
The Byron Nelson International Junior Golf Award recognizes the achievements of junior golfers around the world who excel at a high level of tournament play, as well as academics, outstanding character and dedication to community service. Past recipients of the award include, but not limited to, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Cody Gribble and Emiliano Grillo. Recipients of the award in 2017 are Wilson Furr, Noah Goodwin, Cole Hammer and Eugene Hong.

The AT&T Byron Nelson is one of the TOUR’s longest running events

The AT&T Byron Nelson, the first PGA TOUR event to be named in honor of a professional golfer, has one of the richest golf traditions in the game.
The tournament has been conducting TOUR events since 1944, making the event the TOUR’s ninth-oldest (see chart below).
The only breaks came in 1947-55, 1963 and 1965.
The inaugural tournament in 1944 was played at Lakewood Country Club, with Byron Nelson recording a phenomenal 10-stroke win over his nearest challenger Harold “Jud” McSpaden. Nelson’s victory that year was the beginning of a two-year stretch in which the Hall of Famer won 26 tournaments, including the amazing streak of 11 straight wins in 1945.

1. BMW Championship (Western Open) 1899
2. RBC Canadian Open 1904
3. Valero Texas Open 1922
4. Genesis Open 1926
5. Waste Management Phoenix Open 1935
6. AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am 1937
7. Wyndham Championship 1938
Zurich Classic of New Orleans 1938
9. AT&T Byron Nelson 1944
10. DEAN & DELUCA Invitational 1946
10. Shell Houston Open 1946

Charity

With the PGA TOUR having well surpassed the $2 billion mark in charitable giving, the AT&T Byron Nelson has been a leader in that effort of giving back to communities.
Salesmanship Club Charitable Golf of Dallas, host organization of the AT&T Byron Nelson, announced last August that the 2016 event raised over $5.8 million, with the proceeds benefitting the Momentous Institute, the nonprofit owned and operated by the Salesmanship Club of Dallas.Since its start in 1969, the tournament has raised $149 million and transformed 100,000 lives.

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Chad D. Thomas

Wednesday, May 17, 2017

AT&T Byron Nelson Preview 2017