The Great "Lord Byron"

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at Internationaled.org

Published: January 30, 2011

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He once remarked that all he ever wanted out of golf was enough money to buy a ranch in his native Texas. Yes, John Byron Nelson Jr. surely accomplished that, but along the way he also acquired a universal adoration that most sports figures only dream about. His place in golf history is well cemented, but he'll be remembered for being much more than a master of 18 holes.

Nelson first started taking golf seriously as a caddie at the Glen Garden Country Club in Fort Worth—eventually beating a fellow youngster named Ben Hogan one year at the caddies' championship. Time passed as he continued to play some good golf and make a name for himself; in the meantime, the few jobs that he held offered very little security, causing him to turn professional in 1932.

He developed a golf swing that others would soon envy—an upright, compact stroke that was nothing less than splendid in its simple fluidity. Before the end of the decade, he'd win the Masters (1937) and the U.S. Open (1939)—but the sports world had still only caught the very beginnings of a fine legacy to be left by a golfer coined "Lord Byron."

Yeah, he'd win the '40 PGA Championship and the '42 Masters, but a man named Nelson will always be remembered for 1945; for this discussion, we'll call it "The Year." He'd record a phenomenal 11 straight PGA Tour victories—18 in all during a fabulous stretch when he was NEVER out of the top ten while, at one juncture, playing 19 consecutive rounds under 70.

To this day, the 11 straight wins on tour in 1945 have been compared to Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak—some even saying it was MORE impressive than the "Yankee Clipper's" feat. At one point, Nelson made the cut in 113 consecutive events—a mark only recently topped by a man named Tiger Woods. All in all, he captured 31 of 54 tournaments in 1944-'45, only to retire after the '46 season at the age of 34 to spend more time on his Texas ranch. Yes, ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Golf

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