Interview by Scott Murray

Golf legend Byron Nelson makes holes-in-one on the course and in hearts
 
Byron Nelson is a native Texan who has set an example for what is good and right his entire life. At 93, he still amazes family, friends, and fans with his uncanny ability to recall what he shot on a particular hole as far back as his first win at Augusta in the 1937 Masters Tournament. But it’s his kind, caring, and gentle way that has endeared him to the general public all these years. Whether winning at Augusta, capturing the U.S. Open Championship, or simply taking time to respond to an adoring fan, Lord Byron has always done it with great integrity, dignity and grace. In a world where true heroes are a diminishing breed, Byron Nelson stands tall as a true legend, a man of unmatched character, compassion, and courage.

The Byron Nelson Championship is Byron’s greatest philanthropic pursuit. Hosted by the Salesmanship Club, the tournament raises more money for charity than any PGA TOUR event – almost $6.1 million in 2004. Byron Nelson has played an integral role in its success, says 2005 tournament chair Larry Nixon. “Byron Nelson’s involvement with this Championship over the past 37 years has lent a tradition and an excellence to it that is beyond compare.”

You’re the only golfer to ever have his name associated with a PGA Tour event. How did that all come about?
Well, I had left the tour and was doing some radio work and writing for the Dallas Times Herald covering the Dallas Open. It was a failure every year because they always lost money. They never played the same course, and even though they had good people, they never had the continuity of the same people every year. They also didn’t have the Women’s Golf Association and the other golf associations that we did when we finally started. Then, back in 1967, they called me and asked me what I thought was wrong with the tournament. I gave them my thoughts, and they asked me if I’d get in touch with my friend Arnold Palmer, so I called him and he said he’d come and play. The next day, when they announced he was coming, the tournament sold 5,000 tickets. After the tournament was over, I thought nothing more about it. In the meantime, I had built Preston Trail. Then, a couple of months later, I get a call from the tournament committee and they wanted to meet me that day. So out they came, explaining that they had worked out a deal with Preston Trail to play the Dallas Open there all the time and they needed one more thing from me, “your name, so, we can name the tournament the Byron Nelson Classic.” Well, I could hardly talk for a minute because I was so honored. I said, yes, and they held a kickoff party and 1350 people showed up – people like Jimmy Demaret, broadcaster Chris Schenkel, Sammy Davis Jr. For the entertainment; even Governor Connolly was there. That was the start of it.

Now close to forty years later, your tournament nets more money for the PGA Charities than any  ournament on tour. Doesn’t one out of every ten dollars raised come from your tournament?
Yes, it’s just a fraction over 10 percent of the entire 32 tournaments. By next year, it’s expected the tour will reach the one-billion-dollar mark. But it’s the Salesmanship Club and the people in Dallas that make the difference for our tournament. I can’t say enough about the Salesmanship Club. Those people are just phenomenal. I’m on the General Provosts Committee at Augusta, and the folks at the Masters asked me how we make so much money. I said, at Augusta, you have about 1500 people that you pay to do the gardening and the like, taking care of everything; here in Dallas, we have 700 volunteers and 700 more people waiting to be volunteers at our tournament. We don’t even need a lot of police because we have all those volunteers who work so hard and keep things in order. Some of them have been doing it since the day we started. You also don’t have women members (at Augusta), and we have a number of wonderful women volunteers... even my wife works on it.

Your streak of 11 wins in a row back in 1945 still stands to this day. Yet, as proud of that as I know you are, you’ve told me many times that being a good man and being able to give back, as your tournament does every year, are the things most important to you.
That’s very right. I’m honored the way people look at me, definitely, and it’s wonderful that people think that I was a fine golfer and won my share of tournaments for sure, but, that I was a gentleman and conducting myself properly was most important. I have more honor for that tournament (Byron Nelson Classic) than I do for my golf record because of what they (Salesmanship Club) do with the money to help children and to help people. That’s what it’s all about.

Below: Peggy Nelson; Byron Nelson; Frank Anglim, former starter for the Byron Nelson Classic PGA Tournament; Steve Barley, former chair, Byron Nelson Classic PGA Tournament.