HP Byron Nelson Championship Preview

This week sees the second leg of the PGA Tour’s “Texas swing” as the circuit visits Las Colinas for the HP Byron Nelson Championship. Rory Sabbatini defends the title.

Rory Sabbatini defends
Fergus Bisset
By
published

Lowdown: This week sees the second leg of the PGA Tour's "Texas swing" as the circuit visits Las Colinas for the HP Byron Nelson Championship. Rory Sabbatini defends the title. The TPC Four Seasons course at Las Colinas was originally designed by Jay Morrish back in 1983 but, after the 2007 tournament, D.A Weibring and Steve Wolford oversaw a major redesign of the layout - reshaping greens and bringing more water into play. With many overseas players heading for England and the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, the field is relatively weak for the Byron Nelson. Hunter Mahan is the highest ranked player on the World Ranking teeing it up at Las Colinas - he's currently 17th - and there's just one player in the top-10 of the FedEx Cup rankings on the start sheet - Dustin Johnson. This tournament began life back in 1926 as the Dallas Open. It was renamed as the Byron Nelson Classic in 1968. Since then Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Payne Stewart, Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods have been champions.

Venue: TPC Four Seasons Resort Las Colinas, Texas Date: May 20-23 Course stats: par 70, 7,166 yards Purse: $6,500,000 Winner: $1,170,000 Defending Champion: Rory Sabbatini (-19)

TV Coverage: Thursday 20 - Live on Sky Sports 2 from 8pm Friday 21 - Live on Sky Sports 2 from 8pm Saturday 22 - Live on Sky Sports 2 from 8pm Sunday 23 - Live on Sky Sports 2 from 8pm

Player Watch: Hunter Mahan - The top ranked player in the field lives in the Dallas area. He's currently top of the ball-striking statistic category on the PGA Tour and that sort of consistency should translate into victory. Rickie Fowler - The young Californian is having a great first season on the PGA Tour and is on a good run of form with two top-10 finishes in his last three starts. Y.E. Yang - The PGA Champion will be among the favourites. He's one of the bigger names in the field and he'll look to make that count.

Key hole: 16th. A par-5 of 546 yards, this is a definite birdie hole. Last season it ranked second easiest on the course and played to an average of 4.6. If a player fails to make birdie here down the stretch he'll feel as though he's dropped a shot. Skills required: Creativity. After D.A. Weibring's redesign, Las Colinas asks the players to display a more eclectic array of shots both from the tee and on approach. It's not just a "grip it and rip it," type of course.

Fergus Bisset
Fergus Bisset
Contributing Editor

Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He has also worked with Golf Monthly to produce a podcast series. Called 18 Majors: The Golf History Show it offers new and in-depth perspectives on some of the most important moments in golf's long history. You can find all the details about it here.

He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly.

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?

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