Byron Nelson: The Most Remarkable Year in the History of Golf [Hardcover]

John Companiotte (Author), Bryon C. Nelson (Introduction), Phil Michelson (Foreword), Jack Burke (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2006

Nelson's play was so consistent in 1945 that he finished either first or second in 25 of the 30 PGA Tour events he entered that year. Nelson also set records that year for the lowest scoring average for a year, 68.83 and the most consecutive rounds under 70, 19. He also won five majors during his career despite retiring at the relatively early age of 34. This gripping volume provides a detailed narrative of Nelson's accomplishments during 1945. It describes each of his 18 PGA Tour wins with first-hand accounts of the progress of play; coverage of the 11-straight streak as it advanced; and an assessment by his fellow competitors as well as a later generation of golfers whom he inspired.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

This workmanlike history of Byron Nelson's landmark year on the PGA tour in 1945--11 victories in a row, 18 in total--sticks mostly to shot-by-shot accounts, but they are some shots! Nelson's feat remains one of the most remarkable in the history of sports, but it has always been somewhat disparaged on the grounds that it took place during World War II, when many touring pros were in the service. Companiotte, drawing heavily on Nelson's autobiography, How I Played the Game (1993), shows the fallacies in that argument--most of the leading pros played at least some if not all of 1945--but acknowledges the absence of Ben Hogan through most of the year. This would have been a more compelling account if the author had developed the narrative, adding a sense of the personalities involved and the human context behind the scores, much like Michael Blaine was able to do in the recent King of Swings, about amateur champion Johnny Goodman. Still, for those interested in exactly how Nelson did what he did, this volume delivers the goods. Bill Ott
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

From the Publisher

"Byron Nelson’s astounding 1945 season is well chronicled in this book. . . . His sense of sportsmanship and his respect for the game, his competitors, and the public are all things each of us should emulate." —from the foreword by Phil Mickelson "If Byron Nelson had an advantage over the competition, it was that he had the imagination to always see how he had to play each hole; he could think his way around a golf course. As well as Byron played in 1945, he accomplished more with his brain than he did with just his golf swing." —from the foreword by Jack Burke

"Thanks to my 1945 season, I got to be a television golf announcer, a golf teacher, and a rancher, and I have a tournament that helps many youth and families in the Dallas area. Because it allowed me to do these things, I am very grateful that I got going in 1945 and was able to have a nice streak." —from the introduction by Byron Nelson

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Triumph Books (April 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572438134
• ISBN-13: 978-1572438132
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #591,248 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, December 23, 2009

By 

Robert L. Applegate - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Byron Nelson: The Most Remarkable Year in the History of Golf (Hardcover)

Very nostalgic book by a greta storyteller. They didn't mark their balls back then!

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting facts, not much of a read though., February 7, 2007

By 

Michael S. Kline "Notkalvin" (Canton, MI, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Byron Nelson: The Most Remarkable Year in the History of Golf (Hardcover)

The book is an interesting chronicle of Byron's 1945 season, however the writing is rather dry. I think it could have been much more interesting if the author had more of a flair. I have read a lot of golf books, and this just left me slightly underwhelmed.