The Byron Nelson is a golf tournament in Texas on the PGA Tour, currently hosted by TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, northeast of Dallas. Held in May, it is one of two PGA Tour stops in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex – which until the 2020–21 PGA Tour, was the only metropolitan area to host two events on separate courses in the area (Las Vegas and Savannah have since hosted two events on two separate courses, both of which were pandemic-related changes). The tournament is the leading fundraiser for charity on the PGA Tour and has raised more than $143 million. For much of its history, it was the only PGA Tour stop named after a professional golfer, and remains one of only two such events, along with the Arnold Palmer Invitational. As host, Byron Nelson commonly made appearances during the tournament. It is hosted by the Salesmanship Club of Dallas, a 600-member civic organization, and has benefited the club's nonprofit Momentous Institute since its inception.Our Charity
For its first several decades, the tournament was played at various courses in Dallas. Nelson, a Texas native raised in Fort Worth, was the tournament's first winner in 1944, when it was played at Lakewood Country Club. The following year it was played at Dallas Country Club, and then in 1946 moved to Brook Hollow Golf Club. For the better part of the next decade the event was not contested, until two iterations of it were held in 1956, both at Preston Hollow Country Club. In 1957, the event moved to Glen Lake Country Club before it began a decade-long relationship with Oak Cliff Country Club, from 1958 to 1967.
In 1968, the event was renamed the Byron Nelson Golf Classic and its title, through a series of sponsors, has continuously included Nelson's name. That same year the event moved to Preston Trail Golf Club, where it was played through 1982, then moved to venues in Irving: Las Colinas Sports Club (1983–1985) and TPC at Las Colinas (1986–1993).
Beginning in 1994, the tournament was played at two courses, the Tournament Players Course and the Cottonwood Valley Course, both located at the Four Seasons. Previously only the TPC was used, but since the tournament was played in May (during the height of the North Texas storm season), the weather played havoc with the tournament in some years, causing several delays and shortened tournaments. Therefore, the decision was made to add the Cottonwood Valley course in order to shorten the amount of time needed to complete the first two rounds. The first two rounds were played on both courses (each player played one round on each course); after the cut was determined, the TPC is used exclusively for the final two rounds. However, in 2008 the tournament reverted to using only the TPC course, which was significantly renovated.
Hewlett-Packard (HP) bought the previous title sponsor, Electronic Data Systems (EDS) in mid-2008. The agreement ran through 2014, with AT&T becoming the title sponsor in 2015. The tournament moved from the Four Seasons course in Irving to the new Trinity Forest Golf Club, southeast of downtown Dallas, in 2018. Not played in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it moved north to TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney in 2021. In 2024, CJ Group replaced AT&T as title sponsor under a ten-year agreement, rebranding it as the CJ Cup Byron Nelson (reusing a title previously used for a former fall event hosted in South Korea and later the aforementioned replacement events in Las Vegas and Savannah).
Tournament highlights 1956: Peter Thomson, a five-time winner of The Open Championship shoots a final round 63, then makes birdie on the first two holes of sudden death to defeat Gene Littler and Cary Middlecoff. It was his one and only PGA Tour victory in the United States.Australian Thomson Texas Open Champ 1970: Jack Nicklaus defeated Arnold Palmer in a sudden-death playoff. 1976: Mark Hayes becomes the first wire-to-wire winner of the Nelson.Wire To Wire, It's Hayes 1981: Bruce Lietzke defeated Tom Watson in a playoff, spoiling Watson's bid for a fourth straight Nelson triumph.Lietzke holds off Watson 1985: Bob Eastwood defeated Payne Stewart in a playoff after coming to the 72nd hole trailing Stewart by three shots. Eastwood made birdie on the final hole while Stewart made double bogey. Stewart made yet another double bogey on the first hole of sudden death to give Eastwood the title. 1994: Neal Lancaster won the first ever six-player sudden death playoff in PGA Tour history. He made a birdie on the first playoff hole to defeat Tom Byrum, Mark Carnevale, David Edwards, Yoshi Mizumaki, and David Ogrin.Journeyman golfer wins big playoff Despite being shortened to 36 holes due to weather, the rules at the time made the event official and gave Lancaster his only PGA Tour win. 2005: Tiger Woods' record streak of 142 cuts made came to an end at this tournament. 2006: After graduating from Q school, Brett Wetterich's win propels him to a surprise Ryder Cup appearance. 2008: Australian Adam Scott sank a putt on the third playoff hole to clinch victory over American Ryan Moore. 2010: At age 16, Jordan Spieth (the defending U.S. Junior Amateur champion, and a high school junior at nearby Jesuit College Preparatory School) became the youngest player to play in the tournament, courtesy of a sponsor's exemption (the first one granted since 1995). Spieth made the cut (becoming the sixth-youngest person in PGA Tour history to make a professional tour event cut) and finished in sixteenth place. (The next year, he was granted another sponsor's exemption, made the cut, and finished in 32nd place.) 2013: Keegan Bradley hits a course-record 60 (−10) in the first round, leads after each of the first three rounds, but Bae Sang-moon earned the win. 2018: Aaron Wise sets the tournament record. 2019: Kang Sung-hoon won his first PGA Tour title in his 159th start. Scott Piercy went bogey-free for the entire tournament, becoming the first to do so in a 72-hole PGA Tour event since Charles Howell III at the 2010 Greenbrier Classic.
Winners YearWinnerScoreTo parMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-upPurse(US$)Winner'sshare ($)Ref.CJ Cup Byron Nelson2026 Wyndham Clark 254 −30 3 strokes Kim Si-woo 10,300,000 1,854,000 2025 Scottie Scheffler 253 −31 8 strokes Erik van Rooyen 9,900,000 1,782,000 2024 Taylor Pendrith 261 −23 1 stroke Ben Kohles 9,500,000 1,710,000 AT&T Byron Nelson2023 Jason Day (2) 261 −23 1 stroke Austin Eckroat Kim Si-woo 9,500,000 1,710,000 2022 Lee Kyoung-hoon (2) 262 −26 1 stroke Jordan Spieth 9,100,000 1,638,000 2021 Lee Kyoung-hoon 263 −25 3 strokes Sam Burns 8,100,000 1,458,000 2020 Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic 2019 Kang Sung-hoon 261 −23 2 strokes Matt Every Scott Piercy 7,900,000 1,422,000 2018 Aaron Wise 261 −23 3 strokes Marc Leishman 7,700,000 1,386,000 2017 Billy Horschel 268 −12 Playoff Jason Day 7,500,000 1,350,000 2016 Sergio García (2) 265 −15 Playoff Brooks Koepka 7,300,000 1,314,000 2015 Steven Bowditch 259 −18 4 strokes Charley Hoffman Scott Pinckney Jimmy Walker 7,100,000 1,278,000 HP Byron Nelson Championship2014 Brendon Todd 266 −14 2 strokes Mike Weir 6,900,000 1,242,000 2013 Bae Sang-moon 267 −13 2 strokes Keegan Bradley 6,700,000 1,206,000 2012 Jason Dufner 269 −11 1 stroke Dicky Pride 6,500,000 1,170,000 2011 Keegan Bradley 277 −3 Playoff Ryan Palmer 6,500,000 1,170,000 2010 Jason Day 270 −10 2 strokes Blake Adams Brian Gay Jeff Overton 6,500,000 1,170,000 2009 Rory Sabbatini 261 −19 2 strokes Brian Davis 6,500,000 1,170,000 EDS Byron Nelson Championship2008 Adam Scott 273 −7 Playoff Ryan Moore 6,400,000 1,152,000 2007 Scott Verplank 267 −13 1 stroke Luke Donald 6,300,000 1,134,000 2006 Brett Wetterich 268 −12 1 stroke Trevor Immelman 6,200,000 1,116,000 2005 Ted Purdy 265 −15 1 stroke Sean O'Hair 6,200,000 1,116,000 2004 Sergio García 270 −10 Playoff Robert Damron Dudley Hart 5,800,000 1,044,000 2003 Vijay Singh 265 −15 2 strokes Nick Price 5,600,000 1,008,000 Verizon Byron Nelson Classic2002 Shigeki Maruyama 266 −14 2 strokes Ben Crane 4,800,000 864,000 2001 Robert Damron 263 −17 Playoff Scott Verplank 4,500,000 810,000 GTE Byron Nelson Classic2000 Jesper Parnevik 269 −11 Playoff Davis Love III Phil Mickelson 4,000,000 720,000 1999 Loren Roberts 262 −18 Playoff Steve Pate 3,000,000 540,000 GTE Byron Nelson Golf Classic1998 John Cook 265 −15 3 strokes Fred Couples Harrison Frazar Hal Sutton 2,500,000 450,000 1997 Tiger Woods 263 −17 2 strokes Lee Rinker 1,800,000 324,000 1996 Phil Mickelson 265 −15 2 strokes Craig Parry 1,500,000 270,000 1995 Ernie Els 263 −17 3 strokes Robin Freeman Mike Heinen D. A. Weibring 1,300,000 234,000 1994 Neal Lancaster 132 −9 Playoff Tom Byrum Mark Carnevale David Edwards Yoshi Mizumaki David Ogrin 1,200,000 216,000 1993 Scott Simpson 270 −10 1 stroke Billy Mayfair Corey Pavin D. A. Weibring 1,200,000 216,000 1992 Billy Ray Brown 199 −11 Playoff Ben Crenshaw Raymond Floyd Bruce Lietzke 1,100,000 198,000 1991 Nick Price 270 −10 1 stroke Craig Stadler 1,100,000 198,000 1990 Payne Stewart 202 −8 2 strokes Lanny Wadkins 1,000,000 180,000 1989 Jodie Mudd 265 −15 Playoff Larry Nelson 1,000,000 180,000 1988 Bruce Lietzke (2) 271 −9 Playoff Clarence Rose 750,000 135,000 Byron Nelson Golf Classic1987 Fred Couples 266 −14 Playoff Mark Calcavecchia 600,000 108,000 1986 Andy Bean 269 −11 1 stroke Mark Wiebe 600,000 108,000 1985 Bob Eastwood 272 −8 Playoff Payne Stewart 500,000 90,000 1984 Craig Stadler 276 −8 1 stroke David Edwards 500,000 90,000 1983 Ben Crenshaw 273 −7 1 stroke Brad Bryant Hal Sutton 400,000 72,000 1982 Bob Gilder 266 −14 5 strokes Curtis Strange 350,000 63,000 1981 Bruce Lietzke 281 +1 Playoff Tom Watson 300,000 54,000 1980 Tom Watson (4) 274 −6 1 stroke Bill Rogers 300,000 54,000 1979 Tom Watson (3) 275 −5 Playoff Bill Rogers 300,000 54,000 1978 Tom Watson (2) 272 −8 1 stroke Lee Trevino 200,000 40,000 1977 Raymond Floyd 276 −8 2 strokes Ben Crenshaw 200,000 40,000 1976 Mark Hayes 273 −11 2 strokes Don Bies 200,000 40,000 1975 Tom Watson 269 −15 2 strokes Bob E. Smith 175,000 35,000 1974 Buddy Allin 269 −15 4 strokes Homero Blancas Charles Coody Lee Trevino Tom Watson 150,000 30,000 1973 Lanny Wadkins 277 −3 Playoff Dan Sikes 150,000 30,000 1972 Chi-Chi Rodríguez 273 −7 Playoff Billy Casper 125,000 25,000 1971 Jack Nicklaus (2) 274 −6 2 strokes Frank Beard Jerry McGee 125,000 25,000 1970 Jack Nicklaus 274 −6 Playoff Arnold Palmer 100,000 20,000 1969 Bruce Devlin 277 −3 1 stroke Frank Beard Bruce Crampton 100,000 20,000 1968 Miller Barber 270 −10 1 stroke Kermit Zarley 100,000 20,000 Dallas Open Invitational1967 Bert Yancey 274 −10 1 stroke Roberto De Vicenzo Kermit Zarley 100,000 20,000 1966 Roberto De Vicenzo 276 −8 1 stroke Joe Campbell Raymond Floyd Harold Henning 85,000 15,000 1965: No tournament1964 Charles Coody 271 −13 1 stroke Jerry Edwards 40,000 5,800 1963: No tournament1962 Billy Maxwell 277 −3 4 strokes Johnny Pott 35,000 5,300 1961 Earl Stewart 278 −6 1 stroke Gay Brewer Arnold Palmer Doug Sanders 30,000 4,300 1960 Johnny Pott 275 −5 Playoff Ted Kroll Bo Wininger 25,000 3,500 1959 Julius Boros 274 −10 1 stroke Dow Finsterwald Earl Stewart Bo Wininger 25,000 3,500 1958 Sam Snead (3) 272 −8 Playoff Julius Boros John McMullin Gary Player 25,000 3,500 1957 Sam Snead (2) 264 −20 10 strokes Bob Inman Billy Maxwell Cary Middlecoff 40,000 8,000 Texas International Open1956(Jun) Peter Thomson 267 −13 Playoff Gene Littler Cary Middlecoff 70,000 13,478 Dallas Centennial Open1956(May) Don January 268 −12 1 stroke Dow Finsterwald Doug Ford 30,000 6,000 1947-1955: No tournamentDallas Invitational1946 Ben Hogan 284 +4 2 strokes Herman Keiser Paul Runyan 10,000 2,000 Dallas Open1945 Sam Snead 276 −12 4 strokes Jug McSpaden 10,000 2,000 Texas Victory Open1944 Byron Nelson 276 −8 10 strokes Jug McSpaden 10,000 2,000 Note: Green highlight indicates scoring records.