Byron Nelson vs. Gene Littler at Pine Valley available free on PGA TOUR LIVE
2 Min Read
30th June 1937: American golfer, Byron Nelson driving off during his match in the Ryder Cup. The USGA repetitive ball-testing machine is named 'Iron Byron' after him. He won two Masters, two USPGA and one US Open Championship before WW II intervened. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images)
Pine Valley and Augusta National. Two of the most prestigious clubs in the world, but with one big difference.
Augusta National hosts one of the world’s biggest golf tournaments. Millions of people see the course every year. Many can recite its holes from memory.
Pine Valley, on the other hand, is shrouded in secrecy. There is only one day per year that the public can get on the course. That’s for the final round of the Crump Cup, an annual amateur invitational.
Most golf fans have only seen photos of the famous course. Few can name the holes of George Crump’s masterpiece.
Now, you can watch two World Golf Hall of Famers play Pine Valley. The 1962 Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf between Byron Nelson and Gene Littler is now available free on PGA TOUR LIVE.
On a week when many of us would be glued to our couches to watch the Masters, it’s worth watching another classic course that offers a contrasting style. Where Augusta National is known for its immaculate manicuring, Pine Valley offers a rugged test.
The aerials that kick off the broadcast alone make this must-see TV. They show Pine Valley’s large, unkempt wastelands of sand and thick forest that offer stiff penalties for players who stray from the wide fairways and large, severely-sloped greens.
The fact that the match also includes two of the game’s sweetest swingers is a bonus. Littler won the 1961 U.S. Open, while Nelson had 52 wins, including his historic 1945 season, and five majors.
Here’s a few other selections from PGA TOUR LIVE that are appropriate for Masters week:
Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf: Gene Sarazen vs. Henry Cotton: This is a rare opportunity to watch the man who hit the greatest shot in Masters history. Sarazen won the second Masters in 1935 with an albatross on the 15th hole in the final round.
• Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf: Greg Norman vs. Nick Faldo: This match came two years before that fateful Sunday at Augusta National, when Norman lost a six-stroke lead to Faldo in the final round of the 1996 Masters. It offers an opportunity to watch two of the best players from the 1990s.
• Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf: Jimmy Demaret vs. Sam Snead: This is an opportunity to watch two three-time Masters champions compete.
PGA TOUR Profiles: Sergio Garcia: Born to Be A Champion: Sergio Garcia had to wait a long time to win his first major at the 2017 Masters. This documentary details that journey.
• PGA TOUR Profiles: Home Again: Bubba Watson is a two-time Masters champion. You can learn more about his journey from the Florida panhandle to major champion in this documentary.
PGA TOUR Profiles: Great Scott: A documentary on Adam Scott becoming the first Australian to win at Augusta National.
Sean Martin manages PGATOUR.COM’s staff of writers as the Lead, Editorial. He covered all levels of competitive golf at Golfweek Magazine for seven years, including tournaments on four continents, before coming to the PGA TOUR in 2013. Follow Sean Martin on Twitter.