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By Melanie Hauser
PGATOUR.com Correspondent

IRVING, Texas -- You knew there would be a few tears.

This, after all, is the first tournament without him.

It's been seven short months, but lord, how we miss Byron Nelson.

He was one of the first people you'd see when you walked onto the grounds of his tournament. He'd be somewhere near the square by the clubhouse, perhaps in the shadow of his own statue, signing autographs, taking pictures, telling stories and making new friends. Or scooting around on his cart, that signature hat covering his face from the hot Texas sun.

This will be the first time the EDS Byron Nelson Championship is played without its namesake. (Condon/PGA TOUR/WireImage)

Or, if it was high noon on a tournament Tuesday, he'd be mopping his brow and presiding over the opening ceremonies of the EDS Byron Nelson Championship.

He was there Tuesday, too. In spirit.

Thunderstorms forced the opening ceremonies inside and the room was a perfect, cozy fit.

There was Peggy Nelson hugging and being hugged by everyone in sight. She sought out friends she hadn't seen in a year, maybe two. She was telling stories. Laughing about the past and chuckling that the military band might leave everyone's ears ringing when they played inside.

As she moved around the room, she reminded us how strong she is; how full of life.

How much she is like her husband.

Humility. Faith. Love. Grace. Honesty. Integrity. Those were the words everyone who stepped to the podium used to describe Nelson. CBS coordinating producer Lance Barrow. PGA of America President Brian Whitcomb. Win Padgett from the USGA. PGA TOUR Vice President Ross Berlin. Tom Lehman, the 2006 Ryder Cup captain.

You can debate who was the greatest golfer, Lance Barrow said, recalling a line from Nelson's service, but you can't debate who was the greatest man.

That this opening ceremony was an hour-long tribute to Nelson shouldn't surprise you. The impact he had on the game goes so much farther than 63 tournament wins, that amazing winning streak and his 18-win season. In fact, said Lehman, who was honored Tuesday with the inaugural Byron Nelson Prize, that's not really what he thinks about when he reflects on Byron.

"What I think about is the kind of person that he was, and I start there and I finish there because to me, his life reflected all the things that I consider to be most important, his honesty, his integrity, his humility,'' Lehman said.

"His humility was amazing. I'll never forget one of the first times I was around him, he came to the Bible study we had on the TOUR on a Wednesday night, and he kind of snuck in the door about a third of the way through and he sat very quietly there until the end, and he slowly raised his hand, and he was like, "Do you mind if I say something?" And all the rest of us are like, 'It's Byron Nelson.' He could have talked for an hour if he wanted to.

"He was so humble that he didn't want to intrude and force his way upon people. He was a man of great faith, a man of hard work, and above all, he put people first.''

Nelson's legacy is the tournament where he sat at the 18th hole for so many seasons and he and Peggy greeted every golfer who walked off the course. It's the soon-to-be $100 million in charitable donations the tournament has raised through the years. It's in the life he chose, retiring from professional golf at 34 to live his dream of owning a Texas ranch.

It's in the faces of the children his tournament has helped over the years, children like those from Erik Jonsson Community School whose choir was there Tuesday to perform a song written by choir director Kevin Robbins as a touching tribute to Nelson -- You Can Do Everything.

As they sang, Peggy wiped away the tears. Her eyes had filled to the brim a few times earlier, but when she heard the song for the first time, they spilled over.

"I knew a man. I knew a great man. Lord Byron was his name . . . He taught us all by example every day . . .You can do anything you feel you need to do. Reach for the stars. Keep the faith in you. You can do anything just keep your head held high. Respect all that he's given you and he'll give you wings to fly.''

"I had seen the words, Kevin showed them to me,'' Peggy said. "But that was the first time I'd heard it.''

Peggy wasn't the only one with tears. Lehman shed a few when he accepted his award. He said just getting the call floored him.

"The first reaction that I had when I was told that this award was coming my way, I guess I have to be honest about this, was why me? Why me?'' Lehman said. " There's so many people in this world that are doing so much and they're so qualified, and I just thought, why me? You know, I'm just a kid from Minnesota.

"I know my strengths and I know my weaknesses, and I know the good that I can do and I know the bad that I can do, and I just thought, I don't deserve this. But I did, I learned something a long time ago, which I think is important for me and important for everybody, and that is if it took a perfect person to have an impact on the people around you or an impact on your world, then nobody would do anything ever because nobody is perfect.''

The award, he said, reflects the spirit of all the people in his life, and the responsibility "to take what I've been given, and it's been a lot, and pass it on.''

That sounds a lot like Nelson. A man who spent a lifetime giving and passing so much on to generations.

There was the time at the 1946 U.S. Open when his caddie stepped on his ball and he was given a one-shot penalty. His caddie broke down on the next tee and Nelson put his arm around him . "Young man, don't be disappointed about this,'' said Nelson, who eventually lost in a playoff. "I was a caddie once myself and it could have happened to me.''

Or the way he never scolded Barrow, a member of his church, for skipping services during tournament week. He'd simply mention what a great sermon the pastor had Wednesday night and never expect Barrow to answer.

Or when Peggy wanted to get involved in the tournament -- and not just as the host's wife. Yes, she sat with him at the 18th on the weekends, but the rest of the time, she rolled her sleeves up and volunteered -- usually for several shifts a day.

Don't look for Nelson's chair this weekend. It won't be there. But Peggy? She'll be everywhere. But not in the spotlight.

Last week, she helped drive courtesy cars to the course. Wednesday and Thursday she'll pack lunches for the volunteers. Thursday afternoon and Friday, she'll be in the information booth. And the weekend? Whatever her boss tells her.

Tuesday's gathering was so impressive, so full of love, that Nelson would be beside himself, she said. He'd also be proud of her.

Nelson was all those things we strive to be -- humble, faithful, honest, full of grace and integrity and always giving back. So is Peggy.

So when you think of what we've lost -- what the tournament has lost -- remember, too, that Peggy is here reminding us of what we still have and what we can still be.