Byron Nelson Congressional Gold Medal Act

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I stand in strong support of H.R. 4902, the Byron Nelson Congressional Gold Medal Act. We are honoring Byron Nelson for his accomplishments in golf. He truly has set a legacy, not only for those of us who have watched golf, but have participated in golf and have seen him during this period of time.

He is a true champion. He is a teacher, he is a course designer, and he is a commentator. But most of all, he

brought integrity to the game of golf. For those of us that play the game, we aspire to be like him. Some of us would love to shoot the rounds that he has. And some of us will probably never do that. But at least we have those dreams and the hopes that one day we can achieve what he has achieved.

I know that for many youth he has been a positive role model and he has set a good example. In addition, he has given back to the community by supporting nonprofit agencies in the greater Dallas area.

Byron Nelson was also a top player in the sport of golf during the World War II era. He grew up near Ft. Worth, Texas, and first got involved in golf as a caddy. And that is inspiration when we see many of the movies that have occurred where caddies ultimately became, then, professional golfers.

And when you see someone, and someone is caddying, you also learn how to hit the ball, pick up the club, give directions and learn just the course management and the integrity of the game itself.

He did this at a local club at Glen Garden Country Club. In fact, among the other caddies that were there was Ben Hogan, another individual that we admire very much, who also became a champion golfer. But in 1927, Byron Nelson competed against Ben Hogan in the club's caddy championship, and he, Byron Nelson, won that match.

In 1944, he won seven tournaments, averaging 69.67 strokes for 85 rounds. Can you imagine what that is like? And the average is 72 per course. That means three strokes under, that he accomplished during that period of time.

And like I said, I only shoot a round once in a while of 68, but never on a consistent basis, and for someone to do it on a consistent basis for 85 rounds is very difficult. He was named Male Athlete of the Year, but he would be even better than that.

In 1945 Byron Nelson had what is still considered today the best season ever by a male golfer. He won 18 different tournaments that year, including a remarkable 11 in a row at one point. And that is something that you do not even see in a lot of the eras that are here today.

That season he averaged 68.33 strokes per round for 31 tournaments. Again, imagine, 31 tournaments going under 72.

At the Seattle Open in 1945, he shot a record of 62, and that is something that I dream about. I probably will never accomplish in my life, but one day, in my dreams I will shoot a 62 and under for 18 holes, and a 259 and a 29 shots under for 72 holes.

In 1945, the AP again named him Male Athlete of the Year. Only two golfers have received that honor twice. He was selected for the Ryder Cup four times, in 1937, 1939, 1947, and again in 1965, when he led the American team to victory over the Britons.

Byron Nelson won five majors, including the Masters twice, 1937 and 1942; the Professional Golf Association PGA, that really stands for posture, grip and alignment, Championship twice, in 1940 and 1945; and the U.S. Open once in 1939.

He won a total of 54 victories during his short 13-year career. He retired from full-time competition in golf at the age of 34 to buy a ranch in his native Texas. Can you imagine what he would have done on the Senior Tour if he would have continued to golf, and if it was available for him to have participated? He would have probably added additional tournaments on the Senior Tour, as well, but he decided to retire at the young age of 34.

After his playing days were over, Byron Nelson continued to contribute to golf. He served as a coach, as a mentor to other players, including Tom Watson, and as a role model for many individuals. He has also shared his knowledge of the sport as a television analyst.

Byron Nelson also was a pioneer in the golf business, helping to develop golf shoes and umbrellas used today. Of course, I bought a couple of his golf shoes, a couple of his umbrellas that I still use on rainy days.

He has helped design world class golf courses. Byron Nelson also helped to develop the Tournament Players Course, TPC, Four Seasons at Las Colinas in Texas into a world-class facility. That course is the home of the Byron Nelson Classic, and Byron Nelson's Golf School.

The Byron Nelson Classic is the only PGA tour event named in honor of a professional golfer, and traditionally attracts the strongest players in sports.

The Byron Nelson Classic has raised a total of $82 million for the Salesmanship Club Youth and Family Centers, a nonprofit agency that provides education and mental health services for almost 3,000 children and their families in the greater Dallas area.

So we are honored, not only to have a great golfer but a good man and a man whose legacy will live on because he has contributed an awful lot to the sport of golf and contributed as a role model, too.

In the spirit of celebration, I have also introduced a separate piece of legislation that will honor the achievements of Arnold Palmer and Tiger Woods, each of whom has excelled in golf and has contributed to the public through significant charitable work, and both have served as role models and inspiration to many others.

Arnold Palmer once commented, ``Byron Nelson's accomplishment is a thing on the pro tour that will never be seen and will never be approached again''. So it is with pride that we stand in honor of one of the true great heroes of golf. And his legacy will live on forever; that is Byron Nelson.

Again, Mr. Speaker, I express my strong support for this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to add that not only did he touch the lives of many individuals, as I stated before as a positive role model, but he gave of himself and he gave of himself to the community; and that is important when someone plays the game with integrity and character that sets positive examples for many of our youth. And if you look at Byron Nelson's contribution on the golf course and off the golf course, he truly is an example that all of us should follow. His integrity and his legacy will live forever. I urge everyone to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4902) to award a Congressional gold medal to Byron Nelson in recognition of his significant contributions to the game of golf as a player, a teacher, and a commentator.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4902, the Byron Nelson Congressional Gold Medal Act, sponsored by my friend from Texas (Mr. Burgess).

Mr. Speaker, while most people know Byron Nelson's significant contributions to the game of golf, it is his humanitarian and philanthropic activities that make him worthy of receiving this medal. The highest civilian honor Congress can bestow is this gold medal.

Mr. Nelson is a golf champion, but he is also a champion for the underprivileged. He has given his time, his talent and his treasure to make this world a better place. Through the EDS Byron Nelson Championship, Mr. Nelson has helped raise more than $88 million for the Salesmanship Club Youth and Family Centers, a nonprofit agency that provides education and mental health services to more than 2,700 children and their families throughout our Nation.

Additional, the Byron and Louise Nelson Golf Endowment Fund has provided more than $1.5 million in endowment funding to Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas.

Further, since 1992, Mr. Nelson has been the honorary chairman of the Metroport Meals on Wheels which provides daily home delivery of hot lunches for the frail, elderly and chronically ill residents of Texas.

Mr. Speaker, Byron Nelson is a legend in the game of golf, much noted for his unprecedented 11 consecutive wins in 1945, his five victories at major tournaments, and his overall 54 career victories.

Byron Nelson is one of the greatest players the game of golf has ever seen. Through his outstanding accomplishments as a golfer and a humanitarian, Byron Nelson has provided and shown us what it is to be a United States citizen.

The time has come for Congress to bestow on this gentleman an honor worthy of his lifelong accomplishments and what he has put forth to improve the lives of those who are less privileged.

Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California for that tribute, and I yield to the author of the bill for as much time as he may consume, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess).

(Mr. BURGESS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California. Mr. Speaker, I have a good friend in Flagstaff, Arizona, a guy named Joe Galli who is a terrific golfer himself and he was kind enough just to inform me that my neighbor in Flagstaff is PGA pro Ted Purdy. He was the 2005 Byron Nelson Classic champion last year. He defends that title this year. So from Flagstaff, Arizona, I want to thank you for allowing me to manage this bill today.

It is certainly exemplary of the fine spirit, that generosity, that philanthropic endeavor that this gentleman has given to our Nation. So I congratulate the Nelson family.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Arizona for bringing this bill to the floor. I thank the gentleman from California for his recollection of the deeds and the triumphs of Byron Nelson.

Back in Texas, we know Byron Nelson by many terms: gifted athlete, philanthropist, and today, thanks to their efforts, we are going to know him by what he really is, a national treasure.

He is a philanthropist. He is a gentleman who just happens to be an excellent golfer. In fact, it is Byron Nelson who provided the marriage between unparalleled athleticism and unparalleled philanthropy.

I first became aware of Byron Nelson as a child growing up in north Texas. I am not a golfer nor have I ever pretended to be, but my mother was. My mother was a fan of ``Lord Byron'' back in the 1950s. And so much of it was not because he was a famous golfer, but because of the gentleman that Mr. Nelson was.

As I grew older, I continued to hear of the wonderful giving nature of Mr. Nelson. He continually seeks to help his fellow man. Over the decades, he did not promote the game of golf; he embodied a life of service. He was and is today the most humble of men. Some of you may not know of all the great humanitarian efforts he has championed, but that is because the man himself shuns recognition for his generosity. And the school that the gentleman from California and the gentleman from Arizona referenced that the Salesmanship Club sponsors down in Texas, I have visited that school. It not only serves the children there, but it serves as a template, a model for other schools around the Nation. It is a living research laboratory for the right way to teach children.

Mr. Nelson has never limited giving of himself and encouraging others to do the same when it comes to helping others. His charitable work with the Salesmanship Club of Dallas, the Metroport Meals on Wheels, and the creation of an endowment scholarship fund are but a few of his leadership roles.

Thrust into the national scene in the 1930s and 1940s for his golf prowess, Mr. Nelson took a sport and helped to move it into the philanthropic giant that it is today. Since 1938, the PGA tour tournaments have provided over $1 billion for their local charities.

The Byron Nelson Championship, which is played this week in Irving, Texas, is the only PGA tour that is named for a specific player. The

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this legislation, authored by the gentleman from Texas.

It's no secret that I enjoy the game of golf, and it's no secret that I admire the achievements of the greats of the game, and Byron Nelson certainly is one of those greats. In fact, he's something of a legend of the game.

Much noted for his unprecedented winning streak in 1945, for his five victories at major tournaments, and for his overall 54 career victories, it is not an overstatement to call Byron Nelson one of the greatest players the game has ever seen. He was twice named ``Male Athlete of the Year'' by the Associated Press, a feat only accomplished by one other golfer, Tiger Woods. Additionally, Byron Nelson was selected for the Ryder Cup four times, leading the United States team as Captain to victory over Great Britain in 1965.

He is also the only PGA professional golfer to have a PGA tour named in his honor: the EDS Byron Nelson Championship. The World Golf Hall of Fame honored Byron Nelson in 2004 by featuring an exhibit entitled ``Byron Nelson: A Champion . . . A Gentleman.'' Byron Nelson's accomplishments as a professional golfer are as impressive as his golf swing, and an inspiration to us all.

Just as impressive are his achievements off the links. They already have been well-detailed here, but suffice it to say that Byron Nelson is the perfect example of the unselfish sports hero, the sort of hero that I and a lot of others wish there were more of, in every sport.

With that, Mr. Speaker, let me just say that I support this legislation, and that I urge its immediate passage.

Madam Speaker, this weekend is the Masters golf tournament, and while I am not a golfer myself, it is a big deal in the golfing world. The PGA tournament of today is carried on the shoulders of those who have gone before. Names like Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, and Lee Trevino are common household names for those of us of a certain age, but it is truly the gentleman from Roanoke, Texas, Byron Nelson, who has done more for the credible start for the sport of golf in this country than anyone else.

Lord Byron, as he is known back home, will turn 95 years of age this year. He was a gifted athlete, winning two Masters Tournaments in 1937 and 1942. He won two PGA tours in 1940 and 1945, and won the U.S. Open in 1939. His true service is his generosity of spirit and his humility.

In World War II, he traveled with Bob Hope and Bing Crosby on the USO tour entertaining our troops overseas. He has given over $88 million from his Salesmanship Club Youth and Family Services. He and his wife, Louise, have created an endowment fund at Abilene Christian University totaling over $15 million. He is the head of the Metroport Meals-on- Wheels, delivering services to shut-in seniors back in my district.

His career as an athlete is worthy of recognition, but his service to community is indeed exemplary. For these reasons, I ask my colleagues to join me in support of H.R. 4902, the Congressional Gold Medal honoring Byron Nelson.