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By John Maginnes
PGATOUR.com Contributor

The silence was drowned out by the roar of four F-18 jets ripping through the sky over Dallas, Texas, Saturday afternoon. Players doffed their hats and bowed their heads as Byron Nelson was remembered during third-round play in the EDS Byron Nelson Championship.

The air was filled with a sense of pride. It would have been in impossible not to have been affected by the show of admiration.

Even after his death, Byron Nelson remains a permanent presence at the tournament named after him. (WireImage)

The pursuit of a career on the PGA TOUR is a solitary and often selfish endeavor; only on rare occasions are players in the locker room united in a thought or opinion. But when it comes to Byron Nelson, all players are in agreement. Ken Venturi once said that you can argue who the greatest player was, but Byron Nelson was the game's greatest gentleman.

Although Byron Nelson was from a different era, his qualities as a person are timeless. He was honored shortly after his death with highest civilian honor congress can bestow -- becoming just the fourth athlete to be honored with the Congressional Gold Medal. Before him, Jackie Robinson was the last athlete to receive the honor.

The players speak of Mr. Nelson in awed tones. Tiger Woods says that Nelson's 18-victory season of 1945 is "unbelievable." Justin Leonard, a fellow Texan, says that season is so "far out there" in terms of achievement that no player today could even consider it a possibility. Vijay Singh describes the feat as "impossible."

There were moments Saturday when Scott Verplank reminded us a little of Ben Crenshaw at Augusta National years ago. The week after the death of his mentor, Harvey Penick, Ben claimed his emotionally-charged second Green Jacket.

Verplank was fortunate enough to meet Mr. Nelson at a young age. After some extraordinary amateur success, the 17-year-old Verplank got a phone call from Lord Byron asking if he could watch him hit balls. Verplank's reply was, "how about right now?" The two met and forged a friendship that lasted through the next two and a half decades.

Verplank, a Dallas native, has said that his hometown event is like another major. "Heck," he said, "I would like to win anywhere, but to win in Dallas would be extra special," because he considers the EDS Byron Nelson a major. Perhaps on Sunday, the spirit of his mentor will cure what ailed his putter on the back nine Saturday and he'll make a dream come true.

No matter who hoists the trophy on Sunday, it will be a bittersweet moment. For the first time in more than 40 years, Mr. Nelson won't be there to congratulate the champion. Sunday will begin with a sunrise service on the 18th green conducted by Tom Lehman.

Lehman was the recipient of the first-ever Byron Nelson Award earlier this week, an honor granted him for his humanitarian and charitable efforts. Further proof that he deserved the award, as if any was needed, is that he missed the cut on Friday but stuck around to conduct the service.

The week has been a celebration of the life of a great man. From the Salesmanship Club, which operates the tournament, to the fans and players, the week has been about the tournament's namesake. If only for a moment, the PGA Tour players were all in agreement.

The sense of camaraderie has been a little greater. The sense of pride has been a little more palpable. The joy of having known such a great man obvious.

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