There’s an argument that Byron Nelson might be one of the best golfers you’ve never heard of. Born in Texas in 1912, John Byron Nelson Jr., to give him his full name, would go on to win two Masters Tournaments, two PGA Championships and the US Open, as well as manage a fifth-place finish in the Open Championship. He was the PGA Tour Leading Money winner in both 1944 and 1945, being named the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year in both years too, whilst he was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 2006.
Part of the reason he was so-beloved in the mid-1940s was that he won 11 consecutive tournaments and 18 competitions in total in 1945, which isn’t bad for someone who nearly died of typhoid fever when he was 11-years-old, losing nearly half of his body weight. It wasn’t long after that he began caddying at Glen Garden Country Club, where his love of golf developed. The caddies weren’t allowed to play the course at the time, so he often practiced at night and had to put a white handkerchief over the hole so that he could find it in the dark.
He eventually turned professional in 1932, playing in whatever tournaments he could afford to in order to develop his game. His first Major win came at the Masters five years later, then when the Second World War broke out he was unable to serve because of a medical condition, instead giving golf exhibitions across the country in order to raise money for charities. He and two other golfers, Sam Snead and Ben Hogan, were born within seven months of each other and played out a mutually-respectful but extremely competitive life throughout their golf careers.
Byron Nelson’s Major Wins
| Years | Masters | US PGA | U.S. Open | Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | ✅ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
| 1939 | ✕ | ✕ | ✅ | ✕ |
| 1940 | ✕ | ✅ | ✕ | ✕ |
| 1942 | ✅ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
| 1945 | ✕ | ✅ | ✕ | ✕ |
Masters Wins: 2
Byron Nelson turned professional in 1932. Just three years later and he finished in the top ten at the Masters during his first entry into the competition, finishing tied-ninth. That was followed up with a tied-13th finish before he won it the following year. He then finished fifth, seventh, third and second before winning it for the second and final time in his career. Even so, it was the tournament that he continued to take part in even after the others faded away, finishing tied-15th in 1965, 30 years after his debut in the Masters, before missing the cut the following year and bowing out after that.
1937 – First Major Following Fourth Round Fight Back
The 1937 Masters Tournament saw 46 players taking to the Augusta National course in order to try and win the famous competition. Byron Nelson started brilliantly, carding a -6 round of 66 at the end of day one before following it up with a 72 the following day to lead going into day three. Disaster appeared to strike on the Saturday, however, when he scored 75 and fell to tied-third in the pecking order. A final round of 70 gave him a score of 283 for the week, which was enough to put him on -5 and win the Masters. Although it was the first year the Green Jacket was introduced, it was for club members and not given to the winner.
1942 – Playoff Victory Over Ben Hogan
With war raging across Europe, golfers turned up at Augusta National looking to try to impress in a field with 42 players. Nelson was handily-placed after the first round, tied for third alongside Sammy Byrd and one off the leaders. A second round of 67 to add his 68 from the previous day put him first in his own right, then he cemented that with a 72 on the third day. The final round saw him card a 73 to finish level with Ben Hogan on -8, requiring a play-off. That couldn’t have been much closer, with the two players going blow for blow around the Augusta course before Nelson took the win with a -3 score of 60 compared to Hogan’s 70.
PGA Championship Wins: 2
Nelson didn’t take part in the PGA Championship until the 1937 iteration of the event, which was using a match play format at the time. He was knocked out at the quarter-final stage, with the same thing happening the following year before he finished as the runner-up in 1939. His first win came in 1940, then he finished second before being knocked out in the semi-final in 1942. There was no tournament in 1943, but the year after he came second again before notching up his second and final win in 1945. The 1946 version of the PGA Championship resulted in a quarter-final exit, which was the last time he played in it.
1940 – Victory Over Snead in Hershey Final
The PGA Championship was played at Hershey Country Club in Pennsylvania in 1940, with 120 players initially taking part before that was whittled down to 64 for the match play part of the competition. Nelson took on Eddie Kirk in the quarter-finals, winning 6&5 in order to set up a semi-final battle with Ralph Guldahl, a name that he knew well during his career. He emerged from that thanks to a 1 up win, putting him into the final with Sam Snead. Snead had made his way to the final thanks to wins over Gene Sarazen, and Jug McSpaden. The final was another close encounter, with Nelson once again emerging with a 1 up win.
1945 – Sam Byrd Beaten 4&3
It was off to Moraine Country Club in Kettering, Ohio for the 1945 PGA Championship. This time there were 143 players in the initial field, which was reduced to 32 for the match play part of the tournament, played out over five rounds. In the quarter-finals Nelson found himself up against Denny Shute, emerging thanks to a 3&2 win, which put him in a semi-final bout with Claude Harmon, winning 5&4. In the other side of the draw, Sam Byrd defeated Vic Ghezzi in the quarters whilst Clarence Doser beat Ky Laffoon. It was Byrd who emerged with a 7&6 win, but Nelson defeated him 4&3 in the final to take the title for the second time.
US Open Wins: 1
The US Open was the first Major that Byron Nelson played in as a professional golfer, taking part in the tournament just two years after becoming a pro. He failed to make the cut, coming back the following year and finished tied-32nd. He missed the cut again in 1936 and then a year later ended up tied-20th, coming tied-fifth in 1938 before managing his first, and only, win a year after that. He came tied-fifth again in 1940, tied-17th in 1941 and ended up tied for second when the competition resumed after the end of the Second World War. He only took part in it one more time after that, ending up tied-28th in 1955.
1939 – Success After Second Playoff at Philadelphia Country Club
Gladwyne, Pennsylvania was the location of the US Open in 1939, with Philadelphia Country Club playing host to the competition. There were 161 players looking to win it, which was reduced to 65 after the cut at the end of the second round. For his part, Byron Nelson didn’t even trouble the top ten on the first two days, scoring 72 and 73 his opening two rounds before carding a 71 on the morning of the final day. That was enough to put him tied-10th, whilst an impressive 68 in the afternoon resulted in him finished tied-first alongside Craig Wood and Denny Shute. It went to a play-off, which Nelson eventually won by three shots.
Open Championship Wins: None
Was 1937 the most impressive year in Byron Nelson’s career? Very possibly, with the golfer winning the Masters Tournament for the first time and finishing fifth in the Open Championship at the first time of asking. It was expensive and difficult for American golfers to make it over to Europe at the time, which probably helps to explain why Nelson only took part in it one more time, ending up tied-32nd in 1955. The 1937 iteration of the competition took place at Carnoustie Golf Links in Scotland, with 141 players taking to the field. He was tied-eighth at the end of the second day but truthfully never looked likely to win it.