Aaron Wise Wins AT&T Byron Nelson

Aaron Wise captured his first career PGA Tour victory at the AT&T Byron Nelson with a tournament record 23-under total for his four days at Trinity Forest Golf Club.

Following a four hour rain delay, Wise teed off in the final group tied with Marc Leishman but quickly pulled away with five birdies on the front nine en route to the first time that anyone has finished above 20-under par in AT&T Byron Nelson history. The previous tournament record of 20 under was established by Sam Snead at Glen Lakes Country Club in 1957.

“I felt like when it rained today I was really going to tear the course up just because it allowed me to hit driver, which is my strength,” Wise said. “I got a lot of short irons in my hand and was able to make a lot birdies.”

The event celebrated its 50th anniversary with its first playing at the new Trinity Forest Golf Club in south Dallas following a 35-year run at TPC Four Seasons in Las Colinas.

The links-style course designed by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore is notable for having no trees due to being built on a landfill.




Jordan Spieth was one of two top 10 players (the other being Hideki Matsuyama) in the field this year and much of the talk about the lack of starpower revolved around the new course.

“I was talking to all the players. I asked a lot of guys,” Spieth said following his final round. “I didn’t hear one bad thing said. A lot of guys said, ‘It’s grown on me day to day, I really enjoyed it as a change of pace, I had a lot of fun playing this golf course.’ Those were lines guys were using this week and shouldn’t be reported any differently. It was an overwhelmingly positive outlook from the players that played.”

Spieth finished in a tie for 21st at the club where he is a charter member.

Ben Crenshaw was on hand to talk about his creation as the players finished the tournament.

“The week started off very quiet with the wind,” Crenshaw said. “This course, we envision that you play it with a breeze. It sort of lends itself to a links style, playing firm and fast, and as you saw yesterday, when the wind got up the scores went up commensurately.

“To me, the guys who played here this week will go over to Fort Worth, and hopefully the field at Colonial that wasn’t here would ask questions of the people who were here,” Crenshaw continued. “You hope that some good word spreads.”

Adam Scott finished in a tie for ninth after firing a 65 to finish at 15-under. He needed to get into the top 60 to automatically qualify for the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills and his finish in Dallas moved him up from 65 to 61 in the golf rankings.