NEWS

PGA TOUR Weekly E-Notes
 
Apr. 24, 2007
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By PGA TOUR Staff

  • Given the number of standout golfers produced by the state of Texas, it comes as a surprise to find that only one native Texan has won the EDS Byron Nelson Championship since 1984. Billy Ray Brown claimed Lord Byron's tournament back in 1992.

  • The EDS Byron Nelson Championship got off to a flying start in its first three years of existence (1944-46) when the event was won by legends Byron Nelson, Sam Snead and Ben Hogan.

  • Vijay Singh has two wins already this year and with his track record at the EDS Byron Nelson Championship, he bears watching again this week. The current FedExCup points leader won here in 2003 and tied for third in 2005. A dozen of his last 16 rounds in the tournament have been in the 60s.

  • This week will mark the halfway point in the PGA TOUR's Regular Season and four of the top six players in the FedExCup points race are on hand at the EDS Byron Nelson Championship. Vijay Singh (first), Charles Howell III (third), Phil Mickelson (fourth) and John Rollins (sixth) are all expected to compete this week in the Dallas area. In fact, 10 of the Top 20 are scheduled to play, including Top 20 newcomer Nick Watney, who won last week's Zurich Classic of New Orleans to vault into 12th place.

  • Fans of the EDS Byron Nelson Championship frequently get a little something extra with nine of the last 20 tournaments going to a playoff. In fact, there have been 18 playoffs in the tournament's 53-year history.

  • Last week's Zurich Classic of New Orleans provided a number of former Nationwide Tour players with career-best finishes. In addition to winner Nick Watney, career-bests were posted by Ken Duke (2nd), John Mallinger (T3) and Chris Stroud (T5).

  • Brett Wetterich was 208th in the Official World Golf Ranking when he captured the 2006 EDS Byron Nelson Championship. Wetterich has since climbed to No. 26 in the Official World Golf Ranking through last week's Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

  • Brett Wetterich became the seventh player in tournament history to capture his first victory at the EDS Byron Nelson Championship. The others were Don January (1956), Charles Coody (1964), Mark Hayes (1976), Neal Lancaster (1994), Robert Damron (2001) and Ted Purdy (2005).

  • The top finisher among past EDS Byron Nelson Championship winners last year was 2002 champion Shigeki Maruyama. He tied for sixth.

  • Brett Wetterich's win in 2006 marked his sixth career top-10 in 81 starts on the PGA TOUR. Since his victory, Wetterich has logged five top-10s in just 26 starts.

  • Three players in 2006 -- Adam Scott (tied for third), Brian Davis and Charley Hoffman (both tied for eighth) -- posted top-10s in their first starts at the EDS Byron Nelson Championship.

  • Five players posted four rounds in the 60s at the 2006 EDS Byron Nelson Championship. They were Omar Uresti, Dudley Hart, Luke Donald, Brian Gay and Ernie Els. In 2005, 17 players had four rounds in the 60s.

  • Arron Oberholser broke the Cottonwood Valley course record of 61 with a 10-under-par 60 in the second round in 2006. Ernie Els posted a second-round 61 in 1995, while Tiger Woods matched the 61 in the first round in 1999. The 60 also matched the tournament record of 60 set by Sam Snead in 1957 in the second round en route to victory at Glen Lakes Country Club. With a birdie on No. 18, Oberholser would have become just the fourth player in PGA TOUR history to post a round of 59 in an official event. The three to shoot 59 in official TOUR events were Al Geiberger (1977 Memphis Classic), Chip Beck (1991 Las Vegas Invitational) and David Duval (1999 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic).