AT&T Byron Nelson Memories: Tiger Woods Wins in 97
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The PGA TOUR has announced due to the ongoing health crisis, all tournaments through May 10 have been cancelled. This includes the AT&T Byron Nelson in what would have been its final year at Trinity Forest Golf Club, so we are taking this opportunity to celebrate some of our favorite memories from past AT&T Byron Nelson events over the next four days.
31 days after his historic win at the Masters, Tiger Woods returned to action at the AT&T Byron Nelson at the TPC Las Colinas in Irving.
The 1997 AT&T Byron Nelson was at the height of Tigermania and the tournament was a sell out, with ticket sales cut off at 100,000 one-day badges and 50,000 weekly passes.
The Nelson was also a huge hit for TV as according to Sports Ilustrated, “the overnight TV ratings for Sunday’s final round showed a 158% jump from a year ago, up from a 2.4 rating with a six share to a 6.2 rating and a 14 share, despite going head-to-head with Game 7 of the New York Knicks-Miami Heat series.”
Tiger played the following week at the Colonial in what was another sellout. That’s right, BACK-TO-BACK SELLOUTS IN GOLF!
Woods opened with rounds of 64-64 (that included a 29 on the front nine of Cottonwood Valley on Friday).
“I remember looking back down the par-5 16th and the thousands and thousands of people that were coming up with him,” said T.J. Rives, who was in attendance covering the event for the nationally syndicated Prime Sports Radio. “Then the number of people in particular on No. 17 and you have to remember in 1997 there were no hospitality tents down the left side of the tee box on the par 3, it was just an open area and a sea of people. There had to be over 10,000 people wrapped around that hole including the back of the green and to this day, I still marvel at how quiet it got when he got ready to hit his tee shot on the 17th hole. You are talking 10-12 deep all around the rope-line and nobody could move. This was as crazy of a crowd of any non-major I have ever been around.”
Woods then fired a 67 and 68 on the weekend to capture his fifth PGA Tour win in 16 starts, topping Lee Rinker by two shots.
Four-time AT&T Byron Nelson champion Tom Watson finished four shots behind Woods in a tie for third.
Although the 21-year old superstar admitted to not having his “A-game,” he still managed to tie the tournament scoring record of 17-under-par 263 that had been set by Ernie Els.
In an example of how dominating Woods was during the week at the Four Seasons, he led the field in both putting and driving distance.
“What’s the old saying? Winning never gets old?” Woods said after capturing the victory. “That’s very true.”
Woods earned $324,000 for the winner’s check of the $1.8 million purse.
He would return to the Nelson the following year as defending champion and finished in a tie for 12th, seven strokes behind champion John Cook.
Woods would have an incredible run of success at the AT&T Byron Nelson, finishing T7 in 1999; T4 in 2000; T3 in 2001; solo third place in 2002; and T4 in 2004.
Woods also saw his streak of 142 consecutive cuts made come to an end in the 2005 Nelson as he shot 2-over 72 on Friday afternoon at Cottonwood Valley and missed the weekend.
Prior to that ill-fated afternoon in Las Colinas, he had only missed two other cuts: 1997 Canadian Open and the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in 1998 (which Woods opted not to return to complete the tournament over six months later after a massive rain event). Woods’ streak began at the 1998 Buick Invitational and he broke Byron Nelson’s record of 113 at the 2003 Tour Championship.
