'The Gentleman of Green' Nelson, Underrated

The Protagonist Who Led CJ Group and The CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Started as a Caddie, Part of the Great Triumvirate with Snead and Hogan
Set the Record with 11 Consecutive Wins and 18 Victories in 1945
First to Adapt to Steel Shafts, Real-Life Model for the Swing Robot

'The Gentleman of Green,' Byron Nelson (United States), is a legend in the world of golf. He is the protagonist who set numerous records along with an impressive number of victories. However, compared to his contemporaries Sam Snead and Ben Hogan (both United States), he received less attention. In Korea, he is mostly known as a partner of CJ Group for the PGA Tour's The CJ Cup Byron Nelson, which has a total prize fund of $9.9 million.

'The Gentleman of Green' Byron Nelson and CJ Group are spreading golf and K-Culture through the PGA Tour The CJ Cup Byron Nelson. The CJ Cup Byron Nelson

Every spring, the state of Texas in the United States hosts a golf tournament. This year, the LPGA Tour concluded its first major of the season, the Chevron Championship, on April 27 (local time), and on May 1, the PGA Tour's The CJ Cup Byron Nelson kicked off at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, near Dallas, Texas. The CJ Cup Byron Nelson is a prestigious tournament that has been held since 1944. In 1968, the tournament was renamed in honor of the legendary local player Nelson.

The tournament commemorates Byron Nelson, who is regarded as a legend on the tour. It was the first to include a player's name in the tournament title. Even today, only Nelson and Arnold Palmer (United States) have tournaments named after them. Since last year, CJ Group has served as the main sponsor. Having hosted The CJ Cup independently since 2017, CJ Group has agreed to remain the main sponsor of this historic and traditional tournament through 2030.

Nelson is an iconic figure in golf. He recorded 52 career victories on the PGA Tour, becoming the first player to surpass the 50-win milestone. He began as a caddie at age 12 and rose to the ranks of elite players. He was known as a winning machine on the PGA Tour and is credited with developing the modern golf swing. At the time, newspaper headlines read, 'Can Nelson win again?'

Byron Nelson is giving an interview immediately after winning on the PGA Tour. The CJ Cup Byron Nelson

The year 1912 is considered a blessed year in golf. In American golf history, the 'Great Triumvirate'?Snead, Hogan, and Nelson?were all born that year. Snead is famous for sharing the record for the most PGA Tour wins (82) with Tiger Woods (United States). Hogan achieved 64 professional victories and authored the instructional book 'Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf.' In contrast, not many people know much about Nelson. In 1945, he achieved 11 consecutive wins on the PGA Tour. That year, he collected an astonishing 18 trophies. This is a record in golf history that is considered unbreakable.

Nelson began his career as a caddie at Glen Garden Country Club in Texas, where he met Hogan, who had started caddying a year earlier. The two legends competed for victory in a tournament held at the club when they were 16. The winner would earn the right to remain as a caddie at the club?a true survival competition. Nelson won after a playoff, and the two became lifelong rivals.

Nelson participated in the Texas Pro-Am tournament and was partnered with British professional Cruickshank. After finishing as runner-up, Cruickshank gave Nelson advice on how to grip the club. This was the moment a PGA Tour legend was born. In 1932, Nelson entered a professional tournament with a total prize of $500 after hearing that amateurs could participate. Upon arrival, he paid $5 to become a professional, finished third, and earned $75.

Nelson claimed his first PGA Tour victory at the New Jersey State Open in 1935. In 1937, he donned the green jacket at the Masters, and as he continued to win each year, he was recognized as a dominant force on the PGA Tour. In 1944, he won eight tournaments and topped the money list. In 1945, he played in 30 tournaments, won 18?including 11 consecutive victories?and earned a total of $60,337. His average score of 68.33 remained unbroken for 55 years, until Woods recorded 67.79 in 2000.

Byron Nelson is a legendary golfer who perfectly embodied the modern swing. Byron Nelson

Nelson was the first player to adapt to steel shafts. After recognizing the superiority of steel shafts, he developed a new swing. He created a backswing in which the arms and shoulders moved as one unit. The key was to keep the clubface square to the swing path as long as possible. He maintained a square clubface before and after impact longer than anyone else. In the early 1960s, the United States Golf Association (USGA) built a swing robot to test clubs and balls, using Nelson's swing as the model. The robot was named 'Iron Byron.'

After adding six more victories by July 1946, Nelson retired at the age of 34. In a relatively short professional career of 12 years, he received the Vardon Trophy, led the money list, was named Male Athlete of the Year, and was awarded the Bob Jones Award, the Payne Stewart Award, and the Congressional Gold Medal. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974 and worked as a golf commentator in the 1960s and 1970s. After retirement, he bought a ranch in Roanoke, Texas, fulfilling his lifelong dream of becoming a rancher. He passed away in 2006 at the age of 94.