Week 20 Approach Shots: HP Byron Nelson Champ.

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REMEMBERING A LEGEND: The HP Byron Nelson Championship celebrates the life and legacy of the late Byron Nelson, one of the game's most respected and revered individuals.

Quick Facts

WHAT: 22nd of 37 regular-season PGA TOUR events WHEN: May 21-24 WHERE: Irving, Texas COURSE: TPC Four Seasons Resort (Las Colinas) TV: 3 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. ET, Thurs.-Fri.; 1 p.m. ET,Sat.-Sun. on GOLF CHANNEL; 3 p.m. Sat.-Sun. on CBS RADIO: 12 p.m.-8 p.m. ET Thurs.-Sat.; 12 p.m.-8 p.m. ET Sun., PGA TOUR Network (XM 146/SIRIUS 209) FEDEXCUP POINTS: 500 for winner KEY LINKS: Tee times | Leaderboard SHOT TRACKER | Tournament page VIDEO: Opening Shot

Nelson reached the pinnacle of his golfing career in 1945, when he won 18 tournaments, including a record 11-tournament winning streak that will likely stand the test of time. Throughout his relatively brief career, he won 54 times, including the 1939 U.S. Open, 1937 and 1942 Masters Tournaments, and the 1940 and 1945 PGA Championships.

Above and beyond his accomplishments on the golf course, Nelson (who passed away in 2006) is universally regarded as one of the game's true gentlemen.

The tournament has several ways of honoring Nelson, including the Byron Nelson International Junior Golf Awards (recognizing the achievements of junior golfers around the world) and the Byron Nelson Prize sponsored by T. Boone Pickens (awarded each year to a person or organization in the golf world who exemplifies the ideals of sportsmanship, integrity and philanthropy). Past recipients of the Byron Nelson Prize include Tom Lehman (2007) and Ken Venturi (2008). This year's winner was Arnold Palmer.

TEXAS SLAM: The HP Byron Nelson Championship is the third leg of the Texas Swing on the PGA TOUR, with Paul Casey having captured the first leg with his playoff victory at the Shell Houston Open earlier this year. Zach Johnson won the second leg at the Valero Texas Open last week in a playoff over James Driscoll. The remaining event is next week's Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. No player has ever won the Texas Grand Slam, but a number of players, including Ben Crenshaw, Roberto De Vincenzo, Ben Hogan, Gene Littler and Arnold Palmer, have won three titles.

Corey Pavin, who is making his 22nd start at the HP Byron Nelson Championship, is seeking to make history this week by becoming the first player to perform the feat.

LOCAL FAVORITES: The TOUR has several players who live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, the site of this week's HP Byron Nelson Championship. Which local residents are teeing it up this week?

• Chad Campbell, an Andrews, Texas native, is playing for the eighth straight time at the HP Byron Nelson Championship, with a fifth-place effort in 2006 his best outing out of six made cuts.

• Dallas resident and two-time TOUR winner Anthony Kim finished T19 in '08 and T51 in '07.

• Colt Knost, a Dallas resident, is making his third start at the event, missing the cut a year ago and finishing T67 in 2007.

• Well-known Dallas product Justin Leonard is making his 16th start at the event, with his only missed cut coming in 2000. He's had two top-10 finishes, including a T6 in 2001 and a T9 in 2003.

• Native son Scott Verplank will be making his 23rd start at the HP Byron Nelson Championship, with his most recent finish resulting in a T61 finish (2008). He is the tournament's all-time earnings leader, thanks to a win in 2007 and a runner-up finish in 2001.

• Fort Worth native Brian Gay is hoping to ride the momentum of his win at the Verizon Heritage to a great finish at Las Colinas. He has made five weekend appearances in nine starts at the tournament, and is coming off of his best showing -- a T7 in 2008.

ON-COURSE OBSERVATIONS: PGA TOUR Network correspondent Fred Albers is on the scene in Dallas for this week's satellite radio coverage (XM 146/SIRIUS 209). Reports Albers:

When Billy Mayfair heard the news that Amy Mickelson has breast cancer, he was visibly shaken. He wanted to deliver an appropriate response but, having been stricken with cancer himself, he also needed a moment to compose his emotions. Mayfair then gave a most thoughtful interview, stressing that Amy's positive spirit would be her best weapon in fighting the disease.

Scott Verplank grew up in Dallas, attended the Nelson as a young boy and worked with Byron on his golf game. His victory here in 2007 is the highlight of his career, and Verplank says being back at Las Colinas floods his memory with great thoughts. "I don't really think of lessons Byron gave me, but I've thought of how he lived his life. And that's how I remember Byron -- more than just a golfer, as a wonderful person."

How did Mike Weir prepare for this week's championship? With some whitewater rafting. The former Masters champion got together with friends in southern Utah to ride the rapids through some canyon lands. This was no-family, male-only bonding, and Weir says it cleared his mind perfectly for a big run of championship golf.

The Four Seasons Las Colinas is the host hotel, and the talk of the TOUR is the hotel facilities. Technology has made its way to the water closet. The Four Seasons features a photo-electric eye that automatically raises and lowers the seats. The seats are heated, and there's even a warm-air dryer. It is the throne of luxury.

Weather forecast for the HP Byron Nelson Championship

THURSDAY, Rd. 1 FRIDAY, Rd. 2 SATURDAY, Rd. 3 SUNDAY, Rd. 4 Sunny Temp: 85 high/66 low Partly cloudy Temp: 83 high/66 low Isolated t-storms Temp: 81 high/67 low Isolated t-storms Temp: 83 high/69 low

DTN/Meteorlogix is the official weather provider of the PGA TOUR. For more information, click here

HP Byron Nelson Championship snippets

Record-setting performances: The current course record of 61 has been set on three occasions: Billy Mayfair (1993), Charlie Rymer (1996) and Justin Leonard (2001). The tournament scoring record of 262 was set by Loren Roberts and Steve Pate in 1999. FedExCup update: Zach Johnson has regained the lead in the FedExCup points race thanks to his victory last week at the Valero Texas Open. Geoff Ogilvy had held the lead over the past 11 weeks. Going green: In order to reduce the tournament's carbon footprint, the 2009 event will: convert printed items to online versions; use recycled waste bags for all trash bins; continue to recycle waste products; and use bio-diesel fuel in the on-site generators. For the kids: Over the last 40 years, the HP Byron Nelson Championship has raised more than $107 million to help children and families in the area. Net proceeds from the tournament support the work of Salesmanship Club Youth and Family Centers.

In the spotlight

This week: Adam Scott

Each week during the 2009 season, PGATOUR.COM will spotlight one key player in the field. For this week's HP Byron Nelson Championship, it's defending champion Adam Scott. Learn more about Adam

A victory this week earns you ...

• Fully Exempt for the remainder of 2009 and all of 2010 and 2011 • 500 FedExCup points • A spot in the following events in order of play: 2010 PLAYERS Championship, '09 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, '09 Memorial Tournament, '09 AT&T National, '09 World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational, '09 PGA Championship, 2010 SBS Championship and '10 Masters • If a U.S. player: 2,052,000 points towards making the 2009 Presidents Cup team. • If it is a second victory for a player since last June 4, a spot in the U.S. Open