Statement from PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem on the passing of World Golf Hall of Fame member Byron Nelson: "The golf world suffered a devastating loss with the passing of a true gentleman, Byron Nelson. He was a legend who transcended generations and was loved and respected by everyone who knew him. Our players, young and old, looked to Byron as the consummate role model of our sport. His legacy spans across his historic performances, the gentle and dignified way he carried himself and his tremendous contributions to golf and society. Byron often said that he was more proud of the record-setting charitable contributions generated by the tournament that bears his name than he was of his own personal accomplishments. In so many ways, Byron was a mentor to me, and I feel very blessed that he shared with me his passion and perspective on the game. I will miss him dearly." “He was so kind-hearted, so kind and so soft and so genuine. He always looked at you and talked to you with extreme interest, and you don't find that with everybody you meet. But Byron, you just felt very comfortable any time you ever spoke to him. He just had a softness about him that was very unique.” -- Tiger Woods “Definitely it's a sad moment. … I think he lived a great life. He gave so much to other people, and not only to the game of golf but with his charities and everything and his event. I think he was just an extraordinary man. “You know, fortunately for me, my first professional event as a pro in America was the Byron Nelson (Championship), where I managed to play well. And then I was fortunate enough to win that event a couple years ago, spend a Champions Dinner with him, listening to some of the stories he had to say. You know, at 92, 93 years old, it was still amazing to sit down and listen to him and see how clear the things were in his head and how he remembered so many of those stories. It was just an amazing feeling to be able to spend some time with him.” -- Sergio Garcia “I had dinner at his house at the Byron Nelson this year with Tom Lehman, and that was very special. You know, it's a sad day in golf, that's all I have to say. “His legacy in golf as far as playing is phenomenal. A lot of feats to be matched with 11 wins in a row, 18 in a row, his year in 1945 … were just phenomenal, and his playing record was phenomenal. “He retired early, accomplished everything he wanted to. But I think he's so special because he went out of his way to do the very most he could to help other people. You know, that's what I think, why we should all learn so much from him. He'd be a really tough role model to follow because he was so wonderful.” -- Jim Furyk “Every year (at the Champions Dinner at the Masters) when he would go back, he'd give us facts every year, some weird facts. But anyways, he would always remember some of the shots he would have hit back in '34 and '35, and I'm thinking, "My dad was two." The fact that he was able to remember the shots, and then you actually look it up and you do research on it, he actually hit those shots. The fact he was able to remember that far back was pretty remarkable. He was so alert and so sharp, even late in his ages. I mean, he would have a very articulate conversation with you, and you don't find that with people at his age, being that sharp and that witty.” -- Tiger Woods “I was obviously sad to hear the news. I lived there for a couple of years in Dallas and I was a member at Las Colinas and I had lunch a number of times with Mr. Nelson. He always had encouraging things to say to me and notes that he wrote to me, and I’ll miss him. I know the tournament’s going to miss him, and the golf world, but personally I’m going to miss him a lot. “He always said to me, play to win, believe in your game – typical stuff that you would hear but coming from somebody with that magnitude, it meant a lot to me. Certainly, my generation of players, and a lot of guys I played the TOUR with, we didn’t ever get to play golf with him but we knew of his record, so that was certainly impressive. But as a person, as an ambassador to his tournament and to the game of golf, I think he’ll be remembered more for that.” -- David Toms “He was an awesome man. Over the last couple of years I’ve gotten to spend a little bit of time with him. I’ve been over to his house. He was very opening and welcoming to me coming over. … It was awesome to get to know the guy. “I think everybody would say off the course he’s a better man, if that’s possible. You saw some character and a great role model for everyone. Obviously, I’ve just heard about his playing. Me, personally, I never really saw him hit a golf ball. The thing is, I’ve heard just as many good stories about him off the course, his character (and) just the person that he was, was just unbelievable. “He’s written me some letters and called me at certain times. It’s pretty awesome. He still paid attention to golf and still knew what was going on. He knew everybody’s name who came up to him and shook his hand. It’s kind of disappointing to lose a man like that. It’s tough. There’s not many guys like him out there.” -- Chad Campbell “Obviously, it’s a sad, sad day for the people who love golf, and us. He’s done so much for the game of golf and the PGA TOUR and everything that he’s involved with in Dallas. So it’s a sad day. I’m honored to have been able to have won his golf tournament and spend a little time with him and talk to him for a little while. That’s something I’ll have with me forever. …. He’s done some pretty unbelievable things in the game of golf but I’m sure he would say the things he did outside of golf were more important than the things he did on the golf course.” -- Brett Wetterich “The first (letter) I ever received (from Byron Nelson) was when I won the Amateur, my first one at Sawgrass. He wrote a nice letter. I was just shocked. Here he is, legend of the game writing to some little amateur a handwritten letter, which I thought was just out of the blue, shocked me, and something I never, ever forgot.” -- Tiger Woods “I think the greats that you look at are Sam Snead, Ben Hogan and definitely Byron Nelson. It’s sad, but you’ve got to look at how great of a life he lived. He lived a very long, healthy life. I think we should all … look back and think about how great he was but most importantly think how gentle of a person he was.” -- Sean O'Hair “Wow what an incredible gentleman, always gracious and humble. And that’s over and above being one of the greatest players ever. The game needs more people like him. When you start talking about men who did something to further golf’s cause, Byron Nelson is a good place to start. He was the ultimate statesman for the game.’’ -- Larry Mize “I got to know Byron really well through my association with Ken Venturi. What I learned from Ken are the things Byron taught him. So there is a real connection there. He was so kind to me and my family. I remember all the hand-written notes and when he asked about my wife, he always called her by her name. That’s just the kind of guy he was. There aren’t many like that. Actually he was one of a kind and the greatest promoter of golf ever.’’ -- John Cook “You know 94 years is a long time, but you are never ready when a gentleman like Byron passes. I was privileged to have a chance to know him. We always talked at the Masters. He was always gracious and always a gentleman. He set a great example for a lot of people.’’ -- Steve Jones “His loss is hard to quantify. He set the foundation for all of the professional golfers who followed him, allowing us to live in the lifestyle we have now. He had such dignity and a real respect for the game. His tournament gives so much to charity and that wouldn’t have happened – at least in such a large degree – without him. To be honest though, I don’t know how to put it in perspective other than to say he was one of a kind.’’ -- Brian Henninger “He was a great player and even greater ambassador for the game. Plus he was so kind and such a gentleman. I used to love sitting with him at the PGA Championship champions dinner and listen to him tell stories. He remembered every detail. “It would be like, ‘I remember in 1947 on the 14th hole at the New Orleans Open. I was playing with so and so and so and so.’ Shoot I can’t remember who I was paired with yesterday. And whenever you heard someone repeat one of Byron’s stories it came out the same way he told it, without embellishment. To be remembered so fondly by so many sure says a lot about who Byron Nelson was.’’ -- Bob Tway “Byron Nelson was the captain of the Ryder Cup team one of the years I was on the Ryder Cup team. And I hadn’t really known Byron Nelson up until that time. He was such an impressive individual that I named one of my children Byron after him. So I held him in great esteem, Mr. Nelson. Always a great friend.” -- Billy Casper, winner of the then Byron Nelson Golf Classic in 1968 “He was always my golfing hero, Byron Nelson. I always liked him because he was about the same size, 6’2’’, and I loved his golf swing. And then getting a chance to meet him during the Byron Nelson, he became even more of a hero actually. It is so neat to see a guy live his whole life and be thankful and joyful and so appreciative of all of the great things that came his way. There was never any bitterness that young guys made so much money or I could have won more tournaments if I had kept playing. There was never any of that. I think he was the kind of person we all wish we could grow up to be. As we get older and older my goal is to be as much like Byron Nelson as I can. He came one time to the PGA TOUR Bible study and I asked him, ‘Did you ever have people make fun of you when you were growing up?’ He grew up in a tough time. He said he never cussed, he never drank and he never smoked. And he said ‘No, people didn’t really bother me much.’ I think that’s just a testament to what kind of guy he was. He was just such a good man. And he said, ‘I just tried to do what the Bible said.’ For him it was that simple. I think you can see the fruits of that in his life. He was definitely my golfing hero.” -- Scott Simpson, 1993 EDS Byron Nelson Championship winner “I was fortunate enough to win a tournament with his name on it and he was just a special man. He did a lot for golf, he had that great run what was it—13 in a row? 11 in a row. I was giving him 13 because it was so many. Byron did so much, not only for the game of golf, but also for the community. All the community that he was involved with and I think that just speaks highly of him and we will all miss him.” -- Andy Bean, winner of the 1986 EDS Byron Nelson Championship “He was a hell of a man. We were friends but of course he was friends with everyone. I’ve known him since, oh since the war years. The 30s, early 40s. I saw him win the Victory Open in Dallas, Texas in 1944 at Lakewood Country Club. He did something there that I had never seen before. He was late getting to the golf course, couldn’t find his shag bag. He went into the golf shop and bought a dozen Titleists brand new. He went out there, threw them on the ground and knocked them away. ‘Bout knocked everyone down trying to get those balls because they were pre-war. If you have ever played ball before the war, they were rewounds. They call them A, B, C and D and the ball would go one way and the cover would go the other. It’s like redoing the tires the same way. None of them are any good, but they didn’t make golf balls during the war. But when you had pre-war golf balls--Byron, he always had them. He was a special man, a special player. Golf lost a wonderful ambassador. But we’ve got others and that’s the reason he did what he did. He knew that whatever he did it would go on from there with someone else. That’s a great feeling. He was very happy with his life and he had a great time.” -- Don January “I won his tournament in ‘85. He was a helluva man, he’s done so much for that area. Being a winner there I would always go to the Champion’s dinners, things like that. He was so gracious and a nice guy to be around. He made everybody feel good. He’s done a lot of hard work and everybody appreciates that.” -- Bob Eastwood, 1985 EDS Byron Nelson Championship winner “When I was a little boy I was a caddy for Byron. He would come to Texarkana where he met his first wife and would practice for the Masters. I would get out of school and go caddy for him. Through the years we became good friends and he actually helped me, worked a lot with me. It’s a personal loss. He was a great man. And he was an inspiration to a lot of people.” -- Miller Barber “I lived in Houston and I used to play with him in tournaments. By the time I got into Houston, he was about all through playing. He won all of his tournaments during the war and I had gone to school and then come back down to live in Houston. I got to play with him and I got to know him and he was just one of those fabulous people. He had a problem, he had a blood problem. Hemophilia. That was his problem and so he had to quit playing because he just couldn’t stand it. But anyhow, everyone in Texas knew him. He played in just a few sectional events in the Texas area. He used to come out and play with us once in a while. He was just one of those grand people that lived a long, long time. And he made friends with everybody that he came in contact with. That’s my story on Byron. And he was the greatest player that ever lived. You can put that in your book.” -- Jack Fleck "I won his tournament you know. What I remember about Byron, he used to send me little notecards every now and then when I played well, he would call me if I won a couple of times. I was very honored when he asked me to write a forward for one of his books. Obviously Byron was a great sportsman and a great gentleman but what I remember best about Byron was he was a great man of God and faith. He lived a great life, he was a great competitor and a great ambassador for the game. But with his great faith, I know that he's in Glory now and to me that's the most important aspect of Byron--he was a great man of God." -- Loren Roberts "I don't think that anyone will ever exceed the things that Byron did by winning 11 tournaments in a row in one year. But, I suppose that is not the most admirable thing that he did, although it was certainly tremendous. He was a fantastic person whom I admired from the time I was a boy." -- Arnold Palmer. "Apart from being one of the greatest players ever, Byron Nelson was always the epitome of a gentleman. His passing marks the end of arguably golf's most prolific era, which included the likes of Ben Hogan and Sam Snead. To my mind, Byron was possibly golf's most consistent player ever." -- Ben Crenshaw, a two-time Masters champion and winner of Nelson's tournament in 1983. "For many Byron will be remembered for his incredible record as a professional golfer, including winning 11 tournaments in a row. But he will be most remembered for the genuineness and gentleness he brought to all those around him. I will miss him, but I will always remember what he taught me." -- Tom Watson
"Byron has meant so much to so many people, and has been an integral and important part of this tournament since he first played here in 1935. Byron will be sorely missed at (next) year's champions dinner and will be remembered in perpetuity as players cross the bridge at No. 13 that bears his name." -- Billy Payne, chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters. "He was the best of men, and a gentleman to all. His strength of character and generosity to others set him apart." -- U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess, whose district includes Nelson's Roanoke home. "Byron Nelson donated an untold amount of time, resources and energy to help the underprivileged, and the lives of countless individuals have been touched and improved because of his great work. Though he is no longer with us, his legacy will live on. He was a great Texan whose service to his fellow man has left this nation a much better place." -- U.S. Sen. John Cornyn. "His legacy of kindness, humility and reaching out to help others in need will endure forever. We will remember Byron fondly as we carry on our commitment to his namesake tournament." -- Mike Jordan, chairman and CEO of Electronic Data Systems Corp., primary sponsor of the EDS Byron Nelson Championship. "As an active member of the Salesmanship Club of Dallas since 1971, Byron was more to us than a great golfer. He was a leader in the community and a great friend. Because of Byron's association with our club, we have been able to help thousands of children and families." -- Lawrence M. Wesson, president of the Salesmanship Club, fundraising arm of the Nelson tourname. |
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