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The long history of golf has given the world some great players who have left a grand legacy behind them. Such is the story of Byron Nelson (February 4, 1912- September 26, 2006) who was also nicknamed as ‘Lord Byron.’ He was the most decorated player of the 20th century with 52 professional wins, including 5 majors.

Nelson has won many prestigious awards including, the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year 1944 & 1945, the Bob Jones Award in 1974, the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974, the Old Tom Morris Award in 1994, the PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997, Payne Stewart Award: 2000, Congressional Gold Medal 2006. Despite his extraordinary career, some instances are still engraved in the hearts of golf fans.

Here are the top 5 moments of Lord Byron’s career:

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1) 113 cuts record

Nelson set a record for making the cut in 113 consecutive events. Even though the record might seem less than what Tiger Woods has achieved with his 142 cuts, in reality, the era of Nelson had different criteria. As per the PGA Tour, ‘cut’ is defined as receiving a paycheck, irrespective of the event having no cut format.

Earlier, when Nelson played, the cut was determined to reach the top 20 spots. So, Byron Nelson has reached the top 20 spots in 113 consecutive events, an impressive feat as a golfer.

2) First to win 50 PGA Tour events

While 7 golfers have achieved the 50-win mark on the PGA Tour, there are only a few who came close to Nelson. Until now, the list includes Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Billy Casper, and Tiger Woods after Nelson. He became the first one to reach the 50th mark and has 52 wins. He was able to achieve this feat in a matter of 17 years.

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Byron Nelson's 11 consecutive wins—will anyone ever match this legendary feat in modern golf?

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He retired early at the age of 34. However, was close to the sport as he joined as a sports commentator in the 1960s and 1970s.

3) Most victories in a season

Lord Byron has left the world, but his record is still engraved. One of those records is the most wins in a single season. In 1945, he made history with his performance and the record still is unbroken. Nelson went on to win 18 titles, out of which 11 were consecutive victories. In the same year, the victories included his major win as well, which was the PGA Championship.

Apart from his wins in 1945, he recorded 7 runner-ups, 2 top-10, and 3 top-5 finishes as well. Not only this but with his great performance, the Bob Jones award recipient became the first professional to have a tournament named after him, i.e., the Byron Nelson Classic.

Even Arnold Palmer and Tiger Woods praised the record by saying, “I don’t think that anyone will ever exceed the things that Byron did by winning 11 tournaments in a row in one year,” and “one of the great years in the history of the sport.”

4) Lowest scoring average

Most of the golf world knows about the lowest PGA Tour scoring average record of 68.17 which was set by Tiger Woods in 2000. However, the actual lowest record is of Byron Nelson, who set 68.34 in 1945. As it differs from the adjusted lowest score average. After the year 1980, the average adjusted was taken into consideration. Even today, the players scoring the lowest average each year are recognized by the Byron Nelson Award.

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5) 1939 U.S. Open

Achieving the magnificent feat with such substantial records is even tough to dream about, but with the accuracy of Nelson, everything seemed possible. One of his records is unique, yet showcases his command over the clubs. During the 1939 U.S. Open at Philadelphia Country Club, he hit the flagstick six times.

Surprisingly, all six shots were made from different clubs and were approach shots. He even won the championship with his great accuracy, of course. Since the PGA Tour began in 1916, no other golfer has achieved this; unsurprisingly, it’s a record of the golf history books.

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Remembering the great achievement of the legendary golfer, Lord Byron, on his 113th birthday. The feats shared by him are unmatched and still unbroken. Can there be any golfer in the future who could break the record? Even if they do, it won’t be a fair match to the legacy left behind by Nelson. What are your thoughts? Share it in the comments.

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Byron Nelson's 11 consecutive wins—will anyone ever match this legendary feat in modern golf?

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