Autograph of Byron Nelson

Certified authentic autograph of Byron Nelson in photo.

John Byron Nelson (1912 – 2006) was an American professional golfer between 1935 and 1946 who is considered one of the greatest golfers of all time.

Nelson and two other legendary champions of the time, Ben Hogan and Sam Snead, were born seven months apart in 1912. Although he won many tournaments during his relatively short career, he is mostly remembered today for winning 11 tournaments in a row and 18 tournaments in 1945. He officially retired at age 34 to work as a rancher, later became a commentator and lent his name to the Byron Nelson Classic, the first PGA Tour event to be named for a professional golfer. As a former Masters champion, he continued to play in this annual tournament, finishing in the top 10 six times between 1947 and 1955 and as high as 15th in 1965.

In 1974, Nelson received the Bob Jones Award, the highest honor given by the United States Golf Association in recognition of outstanding sportsmanship in golf, and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. In 1997, he became the second recipient of the PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1994, he received the Old Tom Morris Award from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, the organization's highest honor. In 2006, Nelson was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.