Two words….. The NELSON! That’s all you have to say—and everyone
in North Texas KNOWS exactly what it is that you are saying!
Short hand for one of the largest charity events in the
country. The NELSON! Simple. Much like the man who its named after. A simple,
soft spoken, Gentle Giant of a man. Byron Nelson!
The world lost “Lord” Byron in September of 2006… however,
six years after his death, and we still have this great golf tournament in
North Texas, and thousands come and visit the Four Seasons Resort in Las
Colinas (Irving, Texas) to watch some of the world’s best players tackle this
course.
The story lines are many for the 2012 tournament, you have
one player who is a rookie, at the age of 40, making his first appearance at
the Nelson, and you have another player who has had, NOT ONE, but TWO heart
transplants, in his 32 years of life. AND HE IS ON THE TOUR!
There are other behind the scene stories, how this is Phil
Mickelson’s return to the Nelson since he got word that his wife Amy was
diagnosed with Breast Cancer in 2007.
Mickelson stated that he missed this course, and really loves playing it…
but truthfully—I think he enjoys Six Flags and the Rangers Games more!
Keegan Bradley, last years champion, won his first
tournament and was just worried about keeping his PGA Card, and after winning
the tournament, was eligible for the Masters, truly a world wind tour for him!
Nancy Lopez, one of the greats from the LPGA, was honored
before the start of the 2012 tournament, she was given the Byron Nelson Award,
which is given to those who show philanthropy, as well as their past to the
game of GOLF. T Boone Pickens Foundation helps with that award with a
100,000.00 cash award to the charity of the winner’s choice.
However it’s the golf that has the hold on the Las Colinas
area, and it’s the championship that is named after one of the very best, 11
strait victories in a row, a man who won the Masters Twice, who was best
friends with Ben Hogan, who walked away from the game but not the love of the
game. Byron Nelson.
IF you every met him, he would leave upon you an image in
your mind that is larger than life, and when he shook your hand, you felt the
years of working on a ranch as well as swinging a golf club.
Just a thought!
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