History

With a rich golf tradition in Dallas, including a U.S. Open and two PGA Championships, the HP Byron Nelson Championship has a long history in professional golf that traces its roots back to 1944. That year, Byron Nelson teed it up at Lakewood Country Club and won the Texas Victory Open by 10 strokes over his friend Harold "Jug" McSpaden. This annual tournament would continue for two more years, first as the Dallas Open and then as the Dallas Invitational.

Nelson's victory at Lakewood Country Club was the beginning of two remarkable years in which he would win 26 tournaments, including his amazing streak of 11 straight victories in 1945.

The HP Byron Nelson Championship is now the ninth longest-running active tournament on the PGA TOUR schedule. Aside from the three U.S. majors (the U.S. Open, PGA Championship and the Masters), only eight PGA TOUR events were established prior to 1944. While 10 years elapsed before an annual Dallas-based event began again in 1956, the stage was set for the introduction of the current tournament, which began as the Byron Nelson Golf Classic in 1968. Since then, 44 Byron Nelson tournaments have been played, all of which contributed to the event's current reputation as one of the most highly competitive tournaments on the PGA TOUR.

Longest Running U.S. PGA TOUR Events

About Byron Nelson:

92: number of times Byron Nelson shot below par in 1945, compared to only 20 above par rounds.