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PGA - HP Byron Nelson Championship Preview
From The Sports Network
| DATES: Thursday, May 17th through Sunday, May 20th |
| SITE: TPC Four Seasons Resort Las Colinas, Irving, Texas |
| COURSE ARCHITECT: Jay Morrish (1983), Ben Crenshaw/Byron Nelson |
| (consultants), D.A. Weibring/Steve Wolfard (2008), J.J. |
| Henry and Harrison Frazar (consultants) |
| Hole-By-Hole: | 1 - Par 4 458 yds | 10 - Par 4 435 yds | |
| 2 - Par 3 221 yds | 11 - Par 4 323 yds | |
| 3 - Par 4 528 yds | 12 - Par 4 455 yds | |
| 4 - Par 4 431 yds | 13 - Par 3 180 yds | |
| 5 - Par 3 174 yds | 14 - Par 4 406 yds | |
| 6 - Par 4 448 yds | 15 - Par 4 504 yds | |
| 7 - Par 5 542 yds | 16 - Par 5 546 yds | |
| 8 - Par 4 461 yds | 17 - Par 3 198 yds | |
| 9 - Par 4 427 yds | 18 - Par 4 429 yds | |
| ------------- | ------------- | |
| 35 3,690 yds | 35 3,476 yds | |
| Annual: | 59th |
| Television: | Golf Channel - Thursday/Friday -- 3-6 p.m. (et), |
| | NBC - Saturday/Sunday -- 3-6 p.m. (et) |
| Defending Champion: | Keegan Bradley |
| Runner-Up: | Ryan Palmer |
| Tournament Record: | 261 (Rory Sabbatini, 2009) |
| 54-Hole Record: | 194 (Loren Roberts, 1999) |
| 36-Hole Record: | 128 (Lee Rinker, Tiger Woods, 1997; |
| | Steve Pate, Tiger Woods, 1999) |
| Course Record: | 61 (Billy Mayfair, 1993; Charlie Rymer, 1996; |
| | Justin Leonard, 2001; Cameron Beckman, 2010) |
| 18-Hole Record: | 60 (Sam Snead, 1957 - Glen Lakes Country Club; |
| | Arron Oberholser, 2006 - Cottonwood Valley) |
| Total Purse: | $6,500,000 |
| Shares: | 1st Place - $1,170,000; 2nd Place - $702,000; 3rd Place - $442,000 |
| 2011 Finish |
| Player | Score | Player | Score |
| Keegan Bradley * | 277 | Matt Kuchar | 280 |
| Ryan Palmer | 277 | John Rollins | 280 |
| Ryuji Imada | 278 | Six players at | 281 |
| Joe Ogilvie | 278 | | |
| Jason Day | 279 | | |
| Past HP Byron Nelson Championship Winners |
| Year | Winner (Score) -- Runners-Up |
| 2011 | *Keegan Bradley (277) -- Ryan Palmer |
| 2010 | Jason Day (270) -- Brian Gay, Blake Adams, Jeff Overton |
| 2009 | Rory Sabbatini (261) -- Brian Davis |
| 2008 | *Adam Scott (273) -- Ryan Moore |
| 2007 | Scott Verplank (267) -- Luke Donald |
| 2006 | Brett Wetterich (268) -- Trevor Immelman |
| 2005 | Ted Purdy (265) -- Sean O'Hair |
| 2004 | *Sergio Garcia (270) -- Robert Damron, Dudley Hart |
| 2003 | Vijay Singh (265) -- Nick Price |
| 2002 | Shigeki Maruyama (266) -- Ben Crane |
| 2001 | *Robert Damron (263) -- Scott Verplank |
| 2000 | *Jesper Parnevik (269) -- Phil Mickelson, Davis Love III |
| 1999 | *Loren Roberts (262) -- Steve Pate |
| 1998 | John Cook (265) -- Fred Couples, Hal Sutton, Harrison Frazar |
| 1997 | Tiger Woods (263) -- Lee Rinker |
| 1996 | Phil Mickelson (265) -- Craig Parry |
| 1995 | Ernie Els (263) -- Mike Heinen, D.A. Weibring, Robin Freeman |
| 1994 | *#Neal Lancaster (132) -- David Ogrin, David Edwards, Mark Carnevale, |
| Tom Byrum, Yoshinori Mizumaki |
| 1993 | Scott Simpson (270) -- Corey Pavin, D.A. Weibring |
| 1992 | *#Billy Ray Brown (199) -- Ray Floyd, Ben Crenshaw, Bruce Lietzke |
| 1991 | Nick Price (270) -- Craig Stadler |
| 1990 | #Payne Stewart (202) -- Lanny Wadkins |
| 1989 | *Jodie Mudd (265) -- Larry Nelson |
| 1988 | *Bruce Lietzke (271) -- Clarence Rose |
| 1987 | *Fred Couples (266) -- Mark Calcavecchia |
| 1986 | Andy Bean (269) -- Mark Wiebe |
| 1985 | *Bob Eastwood (272) -- Payne Stewart |
| 1984 | Craig Stadler (276) -- David Edwards |
| 1983 | Ben Crenshaw (273) -- Hal Sutton, Brad Bryant |
| 1982 | Bob Gilder (266) -- Curtis Strange |
| 1981 | *Bruce Lietzke (281) -- Tom Watson |
| 1980 | Tom Watson (274) -- Bill Rogers |
| 1979 | *Tom Watson (275) -- Bill Rogers |
| 1978 | Tom Watson (272) -- Lee Trevino |
| 1977 | Ray Floyd (276) -- Ben Crenshaw |
| 1976 | Mark Hayes (273) -- Don Bies |
| 1975 | Tom Watson (269) -- Bob E. Smith |
| 1974 | Buddy Allin (269) -- Charles Coody, Homero Blancas, Lee Trevino, |
| Tom Watson |
| 1973 | *Lanny Wadkins (277) -- Dan Sikes |
| 1972 | *Chi Chi Rodriguez (273) -- Billy Casper |
| 1971 | Jack Nicklaus (274) -- Jerry McGee, Frank Beard |
| 1970 | *Jack Nicklaus (274) -- Arnold Palmer |
| 1969 | Bruce Devlin (277) -- Frank Beard, Bruce Crampton |
| 1968 | Miller Barber (270) -- Kermit Zarley |
| 1967 | Bert Yancey (274) -- Roberto de Vicenzo |
| 1966 | Roberto de Vicenzo (276) -- Ray Floyd, Joe Campbell, Harold Henning |
| 1965 | Not Held |
| 1964 | Charles Coody (271) -- Jerry Edwards |
| 1963 | Not Held |
| 1962 | Billy Maxwell (277) -- Johnny Pott |
| 1961 | Earl Stewart, Jr. (278) -- Gay Brewer, Doug Sanders, Arnold Palmer |
| 1960 | *Johnny Pott (275) -- Bo Winninger, Ted Kroll |
| 1959 | Julius Boros (274) -- Earl Stewart Jr, Dow Finsterwald, Bo Winninger |
| 1958 | *Sam Snead (272) -- Gary Player, Julius Boros, John McMullin |
| 1957 | Sam Snead (264) -- Billy Maxwell, Cary Middlecoff, Bob Inman |
| 1956 | *Peter Thomson (267) -- Gene Littler, Cary Middlecoff |
| 1956 | Don January (268) -- Dow Finsterwald, Doug Ford |
| 1955 | Not Held |
| 1954 | Not Held |
| 1953 | Not Held |
| 1952 | Not Held |
| 1951 | Not Held |
| 1950 | Not Held |
| 1949 | Not Held |
| 1948 | Not Held |
| 1947 | Not Held |
| 1946 | Ben Hogan (284) -- Herman Keiser, Paul Runyan |
| 1945 | Sam Snead (276) -- Harold McSpaden |
| 1944 | Byron Nelson (276) -- Harold McSpaden |
| Note:Formerly called EDS Byron Nelson Championship (2003-08), |
|
Verizon Byron Nelson Classic (2001-02), GTE Byron Nelson Classic
(1988-2000), Byron Nelson Golf Classic (1968-87),
Dallas Open (1944-67). The event was held twice in 1956 (May and June).
|
| Top Contenders in the Field |
| Player | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
| Keegan Bradley | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | Won |
| Ryan Palmer | --- | --- | mc | mc | T-73 | mc | mc | mc | mc | 2nd |
| Jason Day | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | Won | 5th |
| Matt Kuchar | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-39 | T-42 | T-39 | --- | T-6 |
| Jeff Overton | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-73 | --- | T-35 | mc | T-2 | T-8 |
| Arjun Atwal | --- | --- | --- | --- | mc | --- | --- | --- | T-7 | T-8 |
| James Driscoll | --- | --- | --- | T-35 | T-79 | --- | mc | T-35 | T-59 | T-8 |
| Jason Dufner | --- | --- | mc | --- | --- | mc | --- | --- | --- | T-8 |
| Brian Gay | T-62 | mc | mc | mc | T-19 | mc | T-7 | mc | T-2 | T-14 |
| Vijay Singh | mc | Won | T-59 | T-3 | T-48 | T-13 | --- | T-16 | mc | T-27 |
| Brett Wetterich | T-47 | --- | --- | T-18 | Won | T-10 | mc | --- | T-32 | T-32 |
| D.A. Points | --- | --- | --- | mc | mc | --- | --- | 3rd | T-7 | T-40 |
| Carl Pettersson | --- | mc | T-34 | mc | T-21 | T-19 | T-4 | mc | mc | T-40 |
| Rory Sabbatini | mc | 74th | T-21 | T-14 | T-61 | T-3 | mc | Won | T-43 | mc |
| Adam Scott | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-3 | --- | Won | mc | --- | --- |
| Phil Mickelson | T-17 | T-44 | mc | T-14 | --- | T-3 | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ernie Els | T-4 | --- | T-7 | T-10 | T-13 | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Louis Oosthuizen | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Sports Network Selections |
| Pick to Win - Adam Scott |
| Darkhorse - Jonas Blixt |
| |
| Last Week's Pick to Win (Lee Westwood) - Finished tied for 61st |
| Last Week's Darkhorse (Louis Oosthuizen) - Missed the cut |
| |
| NOTES: |
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The PGA Tour travels to the Lone Star State for one of the most storied events
on the PGA Tour, as players begin gearing up for the U.S. Open Championship in
four weeks. Seven of the top-22 players in the world and the last four winners
of this tournament are expected to compete. The highest-ranked player in the
field is Matt Kuchar at No. 5 in the world. He is joined by Phil
Mickelson (10), 2008 champion Adam Scott (13), Louis Oosthuizen (14), 2010
champion Jason Day (16), Jason Dufner (21) and defending champion Keegan
Bradley (22).
Kuchar is coming off the biggest win of his career last week at The Players
Championship. He has made 17 cuts in a row dating back to July of last year,
the longest current streak on the PGA Tour. Kuchar's five top-10 finishes in
2012 leads the PGA Tour and his current world ranking of five is the highest
of his career. Mickelson, the 1996 champion, is playing here for the first
time since 2007, when he finished tied for third.
The ninth-oldest tournament on tour -- not including the majors -- the HP
Byron Nelson Championship is one of only two events named for a player. The
other event is the Arnold Palmer Invitational, which was known as the Bay Hill
Invitational until 2007. Nelson has had his name attached to this tournament
since 1968. This will be the sixth staging of the event since Nelson passed
away at the age of 94 in September of 2006.
This week, Bradley will try to become the first player since Tom Watson in
1978-80 to successfully defend his title at this event. Only Watson, Sam Snead
and Jack Nicklaus have won consecutive titles, with Watson winning three in a
row.
Last year, Bradley parred the first playoff hole to defeat Ryan Palmer and
earn his first PGA Tour title. He became the first rookie to win this
tournament. Bradley shot rounds of 66-71-72-68 to get in at three-under-par
277. Palmer rolled in a six-foot birdie putt on the final hole of regulation
to force the playoff. Palmer's birdie on the 18th at the TPC-Four Seasons
Resort Las Colinas was one of just two on that hole in the final round.
Bradley would go on to win the PGA Championship last year in his first
appearance in a major and was named the 2011 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year.
Bradley's three-under-par total was the highest winning score in relation to
par since Bruce Lietzke's one-over-par total in 1981. It was the highest in a
non-major since David Duval's three-under winning score at the 1999 Players
Championship.
In 2010, Jason Day got up and down for bogey on the 18th hole after hitting
his ball in the water, and that was good enough to give him the win by two
shots over Brian Gay, Blake Adams and Jeff Overton. Day fired rounds of
66-65-67-72 and ended at 10-under-par 270 to earn his first victory on the PGA
Tour.
In 2009, Rory Sabbatini grabbed the lead for good with a birdie on the 11th
hole in the final round, but needed four more birdies to secure his win.
Sabbatini closed with a six-under 64 to finish with a 72-hole scoring record
of 19-under-par 261. He bested the old mark of 262, which Loren Roberts and
Steve Pate set in 1999. The win was Sabbatini's fifth on the PGA Tour. With
the victory, Sabbatini became the 14th person to have won Nelson's and Ben
Hogan's (Colonial) tournaments. His final-round, six-under 64 was the lowest
final round by a winner at this event since Peter Thomson fired a 63 in 1956.
In one of the most emotional victories on tour, Scott Verplank captured the
2007 tournament, as he fashioned four sub-70 scores to clip Luke Donald by a
shot. The Dallas resident, who had strong ties to the late tournament host,
overcame a three-shot deficit during the final day to claim his fifth career
win. The victory came in his 21st appearance at the tournament, the most
starts by a winner claiming his first Byron Nelson Championship. Verplank is
the all-time career earnings leader at this event with $2,535,988.
Verplank became the sixth player over the age of 40 to win here, joining Sam
Snead (1957-58), Roberto de Vicenzo (1966), John Cook (1998), Roberts (1999)
and Vijay Singh (2003).
Previous winners of this prestigious event include: Snead, Nicklaus, Watson,
Ben Crenshaw, Payne Stewart, Nick Price, Fred Couples, Ernie Els, Mickelson,
Tiger Woods, Singh and Sergio Garcia. International players have had great
success the past several years, winning six times in the last 10 seasons.
Woods missed the cut at the 2005 event. It marked the first time he missed a
cut on the PGA Tour since he withdrew from the 1998 AT&T Pebble Beach National
Pro-Am, ending his PGA Tour record of 142 consecutive events in the money. In
nine appearances at this tournament, Woods has six top-five finishes,
including a win in 1997.
Byron Nelson won the first Nelson Championship in 1944 and went on to win the
season-long money title. There have been five other players to accomplish that
feat: Hogan (1946), Nicklaus (1971), Watson (1978-80), Woods (1997) and Singh
(2003). Watson is a four-time winner and has finished in the top ten 14 times
and made the cut in 23 of 28 Nelsons.
Nine players have captured their first PGA Tour victory at this event: Don
January (1956), Charles Coody (1964), Mark Hayes (1976), Neal Lancaster
(1994), Robert Damron (2000), Ted Purdy (2005), Brett Wetterich (2006),
Day (2010) and Bradley (2011).
The PGA Tour remains in Texas next week for Crowne Plaza Invitational at
Colonial in Fort Worth, where David Toms will defend his title.
05/15 14:55:48 ET
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As of May 15, 2012, at 02:56 PM ET
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