The 2018 Byron Nelson Preview (aka Trinity Forest debut)
The star of the show this week is the golf course. I blogged it earlier, but Trinity Forest is an awesome, new, and very different golf course for a PGA TOUR stop. We’ll get to that more in a bit.
This week we honor Byron Nelson. In 1945, Byron Nelson won 18 of 35 PGA TOUR events. 11 in a row. Eleven! Neither of those records have been broken; they may ever be. General Mills paid him a whopping $200 and a case of cereal per month to put him on Wheaties boxes.
He won 34 tournaments from 1944-1946. Thirty four.
Nelson would go on to win 5 majors, 52 PGA TOUR events, and 64 professional events total over the course of his career. He’s a top-10 ever guy, if not top-5. He’s a LEGEND.
Here’s his silky action.
He passed away in 2006.
Byron Nelson won the inaugural running of this event in 1944 and, in 1968, it took on the name The Byron Nelson Golf Classic. For decades, this was the only TOUR event named after a player. Today it’s 1 of just 2 events with that distinction, the other being the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Tom Watson’s won the event a record 4 times, Sam Snead 3, and Jack Nicklaus & Sergio Garcia each twice. Tiger won in 1997.
It moves to Trinity Forest Golf Club for the first time this week.
The Track
Trinity Forest is a new 2016 Coore/Crewshaw course. It’s 7,450 yards and was built to play FIRM and FAST. Trust me, you want to tune in this week — the action on this course will be very different, very exciting, and very polarizing. You’re going to see some players throwing absolute fits over this place.
A fuller breakdown from me here. And an even fuller breakdown from Andy at The Fried Egg here.
Clubhouse
There’s nothing about this place I don’t like. Even if I hated the clubhouse, I’d love it. Any structure built would look badass on this golf course.
Clubhouse, 7.4.
Weather
Rumors are the TOUR is dousing this place with water to slow it down. But many of us are hoping they’re doing that simply because it’s going to be hot as fuck.
I see that Friday and Saturday wind. And I like it.
The Field
Spieth, Sergio, Adam Scott, Hideki, Walker, Kuch.
Predictions
Winning Score
The over/under is set at -13. I’m taking the under.
Winning score, -11.
Winner
Jordan Spieth is the heavy favorite here. He’s a big Dallas guy, and his coach teaches on property. But I’m not taking the favorite.
Jimmy Walker’s a Texas guy who finished T2 last week and comes in at 20/1 this week.
Winner, Jimmy Walker.
The Smylie Kaufman DFL Award
DFL, Smylie!
Dark Horse
Beau Hossler’s a member here and, although still looking for his first PGA TOUR win, he’s been buzzing late in multiple tourneys.
Dark horse, Beau Hossler.
Coverage
Thursday & Friday: PGA TOUR Live, and Golf Channel, 5-8 pm
Saturday & Sunday: Golf Channel, 1-2:30 pm; CBS, 3 pm on
Final Thoughts
Important to watch the official world golf rankings this week. The top-60 in the world on Sunday automatically get into the US Open.
We had Ryan Whitney on the podcast this week. Whit obviously played in the NHL, is on NHL Network and Spittin’ Chiclets, but self-admittedly prefers talking about golf. He became an absolute golf NUT after hockey and plays basically every day.
Awesome addition to the show. Maybe our funniest pod yet.
Enjoy Trinity Forest.