Comments: Expert Picks for HP Byron Nelson Championship
This event made its debut on the PGA Tour in 1926, becoming a staple in the Tour schedule in the 1940's. Since that time it has enjoyed status as one of the more illustrious non-major events of the season, and while the elite golfers continue to shorten their schedules (making this week's field one of the more vulnerable this event has ever known), the history associated with the Byron Nelson is long and storied with the list of former champions revealing some of the game's greats. Sam Snead, Jack Nicholas, and Tom Watson have all ruled this track for extended periods of time, though recent seasons and a diminishing list of elite competitors taking part has allowed this event to become a bit of a stomping ground for young, talented golfers on the rise (see Jason Day last season). While the Byron Nelson is steeped in tradition, the host venue -- the TPC Four Seasons in Irving, Texas -- may be one of the more recently-constructed tracks we will see on Tour this season. The Four Seasons Resort underwent massive and comprehensive redesign just a few short years ago, formed by the hands of former PGA Tour champion D.A. Weibring along with architect Steve Wolfard of Golf Resources Group. The desire was simple: Bring the PGA Tour to the greater Dallas area, and this course has done just that, maintaining its connections to history while strengthening the challenge for the golfers of today. The original design was constructed in 1983 under the watchful guidance of both Byron Nelson and Ben Crenshaw, using indigenous oak and mesquite trees as the setting for one of the more colorful TPC designs. However, the Weibring and Wolfard vision was just built in May of 2007, adding length and additional risk/reward contemplation via strategic hole construction and obstructions. Thus the course is quite a bit different from the track producing leaderboards you might review prior to '07. Recent trends suggest there is benefit to prodigious length, and you'll note some of the names found in (and out) this season's field suggest power could be of benefit once again.
Golfers listed in this article:- Dustin Johnson
- Ben Crane
- Matt Kuchar
- Jason Day
- Nick Watney
- Sergio Garcia
- Scott Verplank
- Carl Pettersson
- Sean O'Hair
- Charley Hoffman
- K.J. Choi
- Robert Allenby
- Marc Leishman
- Briny Baird
- Rory Sabbatini
- Jeff Overton
- D.A. Points
- Ryan Palmer
- Jason Dufner
- Brian Davis
- Charlie Wi
- D.J. Trahan
- Brandt Snedeker
- J.J. Henry
- Anthony Kim
- Arjun Atwal
- Scott McCarron
- Shaun Micheel
- Rod Pampling
- Brett Wetterich
