Byron Nelson
The main tournament wins for Byron Nelson are shown in the table below, which also includes relevant information on venues, scores and prize money.
Europe
x
Played as the Open de France. Second-placed Harry Weetman (Eng) finished 2 shots behind Nelson (USA), the second of only a few Americans to have won this title. [Vallée course, Racing Club de France (RCF), La Boulie GC, Versailles, nr Paris].
America
Bing Crosby
Played as the Bing Crosby Pro-Am (Jan 12-14; 54-hole event). Second-placed Cary Middlecoff (USA) finished 3 shots behind Nelson (USA). [Pebble Beach Links, Monterey Peninsula, CA. Earlier rounds also at: Cypress Point Club and Monterey Peninsula CC].
America
x
Played as the Chicago Victory National Open (July 18-21). Second-placed Harold "Jug" McSpaden (USA) finished 2 shots behind defending champion Byron Nelson (USA). [No.3 Course, Medinah CC, Bloomingdale, nr Chicago, IL].
America
Zooligans
Played as the inaugural Columbus $10,000 Invitational (July 5-7). Second-placed Ed "Porky" Oliver (USA) finished 2 shots behind Nelson (USA). [Columbus CC, Columbus, Ohio].
America
x
Played as the Los Angeles Open (Jan 4-7). Second-placed Ben Hogan (USA) finished 5 shots behind Nelson (USA). [Riviera CC, Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, CA].
America
x
Played as the inaugural Houston Open (May 9-12). Second-placed Ben Hogan (USA) finished 2 shots behind Byron Nelson (USA). [River Oaks CC, Houston, TX].
America
x
Played as the New Orleans Open (Feb 14-17). Second-placed Ben Hogan (USA) finished 5 shots behind defending champion Byron Nelson (USA). [Bayou Oaks at City Park, New Orleans, LA. Played on what was known as City Park's No.1 (East) course; now part of the South course).
Played as the San Francisco Open.
Majors
PGA of America
The US PGA Championship (27th) (July 9-15). Nelson (USA) beat Sam Byrd (USA) 4 and 3 in the 36-hole final. Byrd held a 2-up lead after the first 18 holes of the final, finished the round with four straight birdies. Nelson rallied in the afternoon on the final day, winning or halving all the remaining holes from the 22nd. [Moraine CC, Dayton, Ohio].
America
George S. May
Played as the All American Open (July 26-30; aka the Tam O'Shanter). Second-placed Lt. Ben Hogan (USA) and Gene Sarazen (USA) finished 11 shots behind defending champion Byron Nelson (USA), who won this event for the fourth time in five years. [Tam O'Shanter CC, Niles, nr Chicago, IL; now the municipal Tam O'Shanter Golf Course].
America
x
Played as the Atlanta Open (April 5-8). Second-placed Sam Byrd (USA) finished 9 shots behind Nelson (USA), who won his fifth straight PGA Tour event in as many weeks, which was part of his incredible streak of 11 wins in a row. [Brookhaven course, Capital City Club, Atlanta, GA].
America
x
Played as the Canadian Open (Aug 2-4). Second-placed Herman Barron (USA) finished 4 shots behind Byron Nelson (USA). This was the last of Nelson's 11-in-a-row wins on the PGA Tour. [Thornhill G&CC, Vaughan, Toronto, Ont.].
America
x
Played as the Charlotte Open (March 16-21). Byron Nelson (USA) beat Sam Snead (USA) in an 18-hole Tuesday playoff (Nelson 69, Snead 73), after both players tied on 69 (-3) in an 18-hole Monday playoff. [Myers Park CC, Charlotte, NC].
America
x
Played as the Chicago Victory National Open (Jun 29-Jul 1). Second-placed Ky Laffoon (USA) and defending champion Harold "Jug" McSpaden (USA) finished 7 shots behind Byron Nelson (USA). [Calumet CC, Homewood, nr Chicago, Illinois].
Played as the Corpus Christi Open.
Played as the Durham Open.
Played as the Esmeralda Open.
Played as the Knoxville Invitational.
Played as the Miami Four-Ball.
Played as the Montreal Open.
America
x
Played as the New Orleans Open (Feb 9-13). Byron Nelson (USA) beat Harold "Jug" McSpaden (USA) in an 18-hole Tuesday playoff (Nelson 7-under-par 65, McSpaden 70). Sunday's final two rounds postponed until Monday due to heavy rain. [Bayou Oaks at City Park, New Orleans, LA. Played on what was known as City Park's No.1 (East) course; now part of the South course).
America
Philadelphia Inquirer
Played as the Philadelphia Inquirer Open (June 14-17). Second-placed Harold "Jug" McSpaden (USA) finished 2 shots behind Byron Nelson (USA), whose final round 7-under-par 63 included birdies at each of the final four holes. [Llanerch CC, Havertown, nr Philadelphia, PA].
America
x
Played as the Phoenix Open (Jan 11-14). Second-placed Denny Shute (USA) finished 2 shots behind Nelson (USA), who recorded the first of his 18 wins in 1945. [Phoenix CC, Phoenix, AZ].
America
x
Played as the Seattle Open (Oct 11-14; last played in 1936; next played in 1961). Second-placed Harold "Jug" McSpaden (USA) and Harry Givan (USA, amateur) finished 13 shots behind Byron Nelson (USA), whose 259 set a new 72-hole low score record on the PGA Tour. [Broadmoor GC, Seattle, WA].
America
x
Played as the Greater Greensboro Open (March 22-25). Second-placed and defending champion Sam Byrd (USA) finished 8 shots behind Nelson (USA), who recorded his second win in this event. [Starmount Forest CC, Greensboro, NC].
Awards
PGA of America
Nelson (USA) won his second PGA Tour leading money winner title, with 1945 season earnings of $63,333 on the Tour.
America
George S. May
Played as the All American Open (Aug 25-28; aka the Tam O'Shanter; the biggest first-prize ever bestowed in world golf). Second-placed Ed Dudley (USA) finished 5 shots behind Byron Nelson (USA). [Tam O'Shanter CC, Niles, nr Chicago, IL; now the municipal Tam O'Shanter Golf Course].
America
x
Played as the inaugural Texas Victory Open (Sept 7-10). Second-placed Harold "Jug" McSpaden (USA) finished 10 shots behind Nelson (USA). [Lakewood CC, Dallas, TX].
Played as the Knoxville War Bond Tournament.
Played as the Minneapolis Four-Ball.
Played as the Nashville Open.
Played as the New York Red Cross Tournament.
Played as the San Francisco Open.
Played as the San Francisco Victory Open.
Awards
PGA of America
Nelson (USA) was the PGA Tour 1944 leading money winner, with earnings of $37,967 on the Tour.
Majors
x
The Masters Tournament (9th) (April 9-12). Nelson (USA) beat Ben Hogan (USA) in an 18-hole playoff: Nelson 69 (-3), Hogan 70 (-2). This was Nelson's second Masters title. [Augusta National GC, Augusta, GA].
America
George S. May
Played as the Tam O'Shanter Open (July 23-27). Defending champion Byron Nelson (USA) beat Clayton Heafner (USA) in an 18-hole Monday playoff (Nelson 67, Heafner 71). [Tam O'Shanter CC, Niles, nr Chicago, IL; now the municipal Tam O'Shanter Golf Course].
America
x
Played as the Oakland Open (Jan 15-18). Second-placed Johnny Dawson (USA, amateur) finished 5 shots behind Byron Nelson (USA). [Sequoyah CC, Oakland, California].
America
George S. May
Played as the inaugural Tam O'Shanter Open (Sept 4-7). Second-placed Ben Hogan (USA) and Leonard Dodson (USA) finished 1 shot behind Byron Nelson (USA). [Tam O'Shanter CC, Niles, nr Chicago, IL; now the municipal Tam O'Shanter Golf Course].
America
x
Played as the Miami Open (Dec 11-14). Second-placed Ben Hogan (USA) finished 5 shots behind defending champion Byron Nelson (USA). [Miami Springs G&CC, Miami, FL; at the time known as Miami Springs Municipal Course].
America
x
Played as the Greater Greensboro Open (March 20-23). Second-placed Vic Ghezzi (USA) finished 2 shots behind Nelson (USA). [Sedgefield CC and Starmount Forest CC, Greensboro, NC].
Majors
PGA of America
The US PGA Championship (23rd) (Aug 26-Sep 2). Nelson (USA) beat Sam Snead (USA) 1-up in the 36-hole final. [West course, Hershey CC, Hershey, PA].
America
x
Played as the Miami Open (Dec 13-15). Second-placed Clayton Heafner (USA) finished 1 shot behind Byron Nelson (USA). [Miami Springs G&CC, Miami, FL; at the time known as Miami Springs Municipal Course].
America
x
Played as the Texas Open (Feb 9-12). Byron Nelson (USA) beat Ben Hogan (USA) in an 18-hole Monday playoff: Nelson 70 (-1), Hogan 71 (E). [Brackenridge Park GC, San Antonio, TX].
Majors
USGA
The US Open (43rd) (June 8-12). Nelson (USA) beat Craig Wood (USA) in the second of two 18-hole playoffs. First playoff: Nelson 68 (-1), Wood 68 (-1), Denny Shute 76 (+7; eliminated). Second playoff: Nelson 70 (+1), Wood 73 (+4). [Spring Mill course, Philadelphia CC, Gladwyne, nr Philadelphia, PA].
America
WGA
Played as the Western Open (July 21-23). Second-placed Lloyd Mangrum (USA) finished 1 shot behind Byron Nelson (USA). [No.3 Course, Medinah CC, Bloomingdale, nr Chicago, IL; early rounds also played on the par-70 No.1 course].
America
x
Played as the North & South Open (March 21-23). Second-placed Horton Smith (USA) finished 2 shots behind Byron Nelson (USA). [No.2 Course, Pinehurst Resort, North Carolina].
America
x
Played as the Phoenix Open (Feb 3-5; 54-hole tournament; last played in 1935). Second-placed Ben Hogan (USA) finished 12 shots behind Nelson (USA). [Phoenix CC, Phoenix, AZ].
Awards
PGA of America
Nelson (USA) won the PGA of America Vardon Trophy, based on a season-long points accumulation.
Played as the Hollywood Open.
America
x
Played as the Thomasville Open (Feb 25-27). Second-placed and defending champion Dick Metz (USA) finished 4 shots behind Byron Nelson (USA), who recorded his fifth PGA Tour win. [Glen Arven CC, Thomasville, Georgia].
Majors
x
The Masters Tournament (4th) (April 1-4; played as the Augusta National Invitation Tournament). Second-placed Ralph Guldahl (USA) finished 2 shots behind Nelson (USA), who recorded the first of his two Masters wins. [Augusta National GC, Augusta, GA].
Played as the Belmont Country Club Match Play.
America
Metropolitan GA
Played as the Metropolitan Open (May 21-23). Second-placed Craig Wood (USA) finished 2 shots behind Byron Nelson (USA), who recorded his second PGA Tour win. [Quaker Ridge GC, Scarsdale, nr New York City, NY].
America
x
Played as the New Jersey State Open (Aug 8-10). Second-placed Jack Forrester (Scot) finished 3 shots behind 24-year-old Byron Nelson (USA), who recorded his first win as a professional. [Suneagles GC, Eatontown, NJ; at the time called Monmouth County CC].
Women’s (British) Open: the last women’s major championship of the season is hosted by Royal Porthcawl GC. It’s the first time this fabulous seaside links course has hosted the event (July 31-Aug 3).
Walker Cup: the 50th playing of this prestigious men’s amateur event sees the GB&I go head-to-head against the defending USA team at Cypress Point Club, California (Sept 6-7). After that, all eyes turn to Bethpage State Park on Long Island, NY, where the American and defending European professional teams engage in the 45th Ryder Cup (Sept 27-29).
Lottie Woad: 21-year-old Woad burst onto the professional scene in July, with wins in the Women’s Irish Open (as an amateur) and three weeks later in the Women’s Scottish Open (as a professional). She nearly picked-up a major championship, placing third in The Evian in the same month.
Pádraig Harrington: the ever-likeable Irishman added the (British) Senior Open Championship title to his stellar array of tournament successes. His win came on Sunningdale’s spectacular Old Course. Harrington had already bagged the U.S. Senior Open title in June this year.
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Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available
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